Life Among the Outsiders
by Apollaskywalker
Summary: Jake, Jess, and Gaia all get sucked into The Outsiders. Gaia has a plan to save Dally and Johnny, but what if it goes wrong? GaiaDally
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **It's me again! This time with a more romantic version of The Outsiders! Gaia Schultz is based on me and two of my friends. Read and Review if you want me to continue!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own The Outsiders! Not mine. I don't own any of the books and movies mentioned either!

Chapter One

Dallas Winston

I suppose if I hadn't been so obsessed with books and movies it wouldn't have happened. I mean, if you spent as much time as I do with your head in the clouds it would happen to you.

If I were to give you a list of my favorite guy characters it would be very long. I'll give you my five picks.

1. Dally Winston

2. Luke Skywalker

3. Anakin Skywalker

4. Eragon

5. Legolas of the Woodland Realm

No, those are not in order. I don't know what order to put them in. It would be impossible.

Oh, yeah, my name is Gaia. Like _Fearless_, ok, see what a geek I am? I'm into Science fiction, as you can tell by the list. All except Dally are from Sci-fi/fantasymovies and books.

I suppose it's best to start at the beginning. With Dally.

---

I was selected to go to the Conference of Readers of my school. Big whoop, I was the President of the Nerds in my own little way. I was chosen for my essay on Dally. Dallas Winston and his importance in _The Outsiders_. I won't bore you with the entire essay…or should I? Nah, I won't. Anyway I got a hundred percent on it. Top in my class. Then I competed with the finalists in the other classes for the position. I had the support of my fellow geeks who told me that I should emphasize another character. Maybe Eragon? I said no, I would stick to Dally. Dally…well, the Eragon movie wasn't out yet so how could I add my picture pages? I'm willing to bet that my picture pages saved my life. I had the entire web at my disposal for Dally.

I rewrote my essay on Dallas. Then I added different better (a little cleaner? I left out my favorite ones. No, I'm joking) pictures. It won. If I ever met Dally I would kiss him for that! But I couldn't…because Dally was dead.

So then I got on the charter bus that was sent for me. I felt a little shy because I was the only one from my school and I didn't know anyone. I checked my assigned seat with the bus driver.

"Schultz, Gaia," I said to the driver.

"Twelfth seat back, driver's side," he told me and I walked to the seat. Trouble was there was already a boy sitting there.

"Hey, I'm Jake," he said holding out his hand.

"Gaia," I shook it, feeling nervous. I don't know why, most of my friends were boys.

"That's funny, like Gaia Moore and Jake Montone from _Fearless_? It's, um, a book series-"

"I know," I said laughing too. It was a rather odd coincidence.

"I wrote my essay on the movie _Troy_. About how Hector was the most important man in there, who'd you write about?" Jake was a chatterbox, I wanted to shut him up.

"Dally Winston from _The Outsiders_," part of me liked talking to Jake.

"Ouch, what a hard part to write about. Seeing as he dies, I mean."

"Yeah, but actually it was easy," I pulled a book from my travel bag since the conference was for three days I had packed about six books.

He whistled at the cover, "_Anna Karenina_? Even I don't attempt that!"

"I enjoy the classics, most of the time. Then again sometimes I don't. I'm a Sci-fi geek," I said lifting my hand to form the Vulcan 'Live Long and Prosper' sign.

He returned it, "Drama and action, I like war stories."

"But you've read _The Outsiders_ and _Fearless_-"

"Saw the movie; read the book for the ass kicking female," he paused, "I saw the movie because my ex kept talking about how hott Darry was."

"Did you agree?" I asked.

"No! Do I look that way to you?"

I mumbled and apology and stared at the book page. Then I asked, "Why did you see it to check Darry out if you're not that way?"

"She made me watch it; I told her that if Darry was hotter than me then well, we weren't meant for each other."

"And?" I asked.

"I lost," he smiled.

I giggled. Then I mentally beat myself up. I don't giggle! I laugh; giggling is for girly girls who've read too many love novels. You know those sick, disgusting, filthy books that describe how and how great he made love to her. Oh, please, I don't read those books, I saw too many of them when I would run in to my mom's room to ask for the brush. I don't think I'll read those unless Hitler returns from the grave and burns all but those.

Jake went silent until we saw the hotel. "Who's your roommate?" He asked.

I hadn't even bothered to look at my sheet until then. "Jessica Auburn," I said.

"Oh, you're in for a treat," Jake sighed stretching.

"Why's that?"

"She's absolutely the rudest girl in the world, she's in my class and the only reason she got to come along was because all the teachers are afraid of her and named her the top female student for this," he pointed to a girl with blond hair and a tight top. She made me look like a huge, fat, obnoxious girl from like…a magazine saying what you didn't want to be. Her hair was swept off her neck into a ponytail.

"What did she write about?" I asked.

"Oh, just some crap from what she claimed was a novel."

"Who was the character?" I pressed. I needed to classify this girl.

He grinned, "I dunno, but it came from one of those romance novels that the girls shove in the boy's face to get him to leave her alone."

Great, one of _those_ girls.

"Huh?" I asked, vaguely aware that Jake was talking to me.

"I said 'I hope you're hungry,'"

"Why's that?"

"Um, because we have that breakfast in about ten minutes?"

Oooh, boy, I was in trouble.

**---**

I opened up the door to room 265 and noticed that Jessica hadn't arrived yet. I took my pick of the beds and chose the one near the window, I didn't bother to unpack, and whatever I did I was sure to make her angry, I thought.

The door slid open as I set my suitcase down on the bed. "Hello," I said cheerfully, so as not to make her suspicious.

"Hey," she said, her greeting sounding friendly. "I'm Jessica Auburn, you must be Gay-uh Schultz."

"Actually it's pronounced Guy-uh," I corrected.

"Cool, I like it. I wrote my essay on Pip from _Great Expectations_, who'd you write about?"

Pip from _Great Expectations_? That didn't coincide with anything Jake had said!

"Dally Winston from _The Outsiders_, are you sure you're my roommate? I was told you did the report on someone from a love novel."

"Huh? Oh, I just told the girls that so they would leave me alone about my winning; do you have your essay? I'd love to read it!"

I gaped at her before pulling my winning essay out of my travel bag.

She swapped with me and I noticed that it was in her handwriting (we had to tell a bit about ourselves to our roommate and it had to be handwritten) and it was written in her style of talking. Jake's information must have been passed on from 'the girls.'

**Like it? Review please! Tell me if I should continue! **


	2. Jessica

**Author's Note:** Here's the next part. Jessica is based a tiny bit on one of my friends at school, but only her looks and words. Not her thoughts and all that.

**Disclaimer: **Don't own any of this (you know I don't.)

Chapter Two

Jessica

I asked Jessica a bit about her friends and she told me a lot of what I expected.

"They're really critical of any geek, so when I decided to enter I told them that it was to see if they would give it to me. I always kept my grades a secret because they would tease me. They are the prettiest girls in the class so I naturally have to put down any movie or book I might want to watch or read to see what they want or go shopping. I always tell them that I'm going to the bathroom and will go to a bookstore and hide the bag."

The bell rang meaning it was time for the breakfast. I walked to the elevator with Jessica chattering behind me. I nearly told her to shut up before I realized she'd never met a girl geek before. This was all new to her. I walked over to my table which Jake was seated at.

He waved at me, his jet black hair sticking up. "Hey, Gaia, this is Sean," he motioned to a kid with blonde hair, so blonde it was almost white. He waved at me.

"Hey, I got a ninety-nine on my essay, and you?"

"One hundred," I said sitting down at the place labeled 'Gaia.'

"Really? Who'd you write about? I wrote about Dally Winston."

"No way," I said reaching for the water.

"Why no way?" He asked looking at the water like it was toxic.

"I wrote about Dallas Winston," I said swallowing a gulp of water. I developed that habit of swallowing water and ice one summer when my friend Josh and I sat there with a bunch of ice cubes and swallowed them one by one for a dare from my older sister, Kayla.

Sean shook his head and glanced at Jessica who looked out of place, a preppy girl in the middle of a whole room full of nerds. She was like Stephen Glass in the middle of real reporters.

"Who'd you write about?" He asked ordering a coffee from the waitress.

"Pip from _Great Expectations_," she said ordering a glass of ice tea. Always the prep, whether in disguise or not, I noted sipping my water.

"I thought you did it on a slut novel," Jake said reaching for his glass of water.

Jessica shook her head, "No." She undid the napkin and placed it on her lap. Bagels, toast, eggs, bacon, pancakes, you name it (except cereal) it was there. I loaded my plate with bagels and bacon. I spread cream cheese over my bagel while Jessica took only one slice of toast and a serving of eggs. Nothing else, for being a nerd, she certainly didn't eat like us.

Jake already had stack of pancakes, sausages, bacon, toast, and eggs on his plate. I didn't think a plate could hold all that!

Sean took a pile of toast and over half the eggs and began to eat while the speaker began to talk. It was really boring; I won't bore anyone with the details. Mainly that we were going to have a bunch of authors come in and talk to us, the history of the press (book press not media) and a bunch of other things set to geeky words.

I bit into my bagel and tried to think about the upcoming assignment for when I got back to school. I was on a reprieve, since this was a school function they would give me A's for all except English. In English I had to write a paper about my experiences here. Thank God I wasn't taking any foreign languages this year like I did last year! Or else I'd have to write a paper in _that_ language as well as English.

I finished my bacon and waited for them to dismiss us.

They finally did with the words, "Go and explore, have fun, today is your free day!"

Jessica and I headed back to the room after making plans with Jake to meet up in the old downtown. Jessica changed clothes and came out with a hair brush.

"Do you want me to do your hair, Gaia?"

I ran my fingers through my tangled locks of red-gold hair. "No thanks!"

"You're going to be with a guy all day, you should want to look your best," she told me, pulling her hair back into a ponytail.

"Um, no, I don't think so; it'll just screw up at the end of the day."

"All right," Jessica let me keep my hair the way it was.

Jess grabbed her trendy purse and I tucked my wallet into the back pocket of my jeans, in which my essay was as well.

"Do you want me to put your wallet in my purse?" Jess asked me.

"Nope, I don't think anyone will steal it." I told her and began to walk down to the lobby. Jess followed me, pulling at her clothes.

"Do you listen to Avril Lavigne or is she too 'punk' for you?" I asked Jess when we climbed into the elevator. I don't know why they say she's punk, maybe I just don't know what punk is.

"I prefer Kelly Clarkson," she said.

"Eww, I must admit 'Because of you' was good, but all the rest was 'I'm too good, it's all your fault.'"

Jess laughed and the elevator dinged. Jake had spiked his dark hair and had on an old leather jacket, his pants were black; unlike the ones he had worn that morning.

"Hey, guys," Jake said snapping down a snap on his cargo pants. I suspected that he had his wallet in that pocket. I admired the ease in which he fell into step around us. Most of my guy friends were nervous around girls. Jake mean while just had a great old time, he told jokes and to my surprise Jess even laughed. I would have suspected the two of them to not get along.

Jake stuck his hands into his jacket and we walked outside.

I would have suspected that it would be busy with weirdoes in the old downtown section, but it was quiet. It looked like it was from the eighties or something. There was the old theatre advertising for a Paul Newman show. Whoever Paul Newman was. I'm sure he was very popular once, but I had no idea who he was. A kid stepped out of the theatre and went walking. Bunches of people followed him. He stopped in front of a mirror and checked out his reflection. A car went by and the kids inside of it shouted, "Hey, Greaser!"

I nearly laughed, you don't call kids Greasers. You call them nerds, preps, or wallflowers. I don't know what you call those kids who aren't any of those but there are sure a lot of them! I yawned and saw the kids climbing out of the car.

"Need a hair cut, greaser?" they asked.

"No," he said, stumbling back. The kids jumped him.

"How'd you like the cut to begin below the chin?" They asked him.

Poor kid was frightened and I couldn't blame him. I took off running towards him with Jake and Jess following me. I jumped over the fence.

"Hey! Losers!" I yelled at them. "Pick on somebody your own size!" I climbed over the fence and kicked the kid's skull. I hoped I hadn't hurt him too bad, but hey, his head got in my way.

A bunch of boys came running along and I got a good look at the kid, he was scared and upset.

He massaged his neck where the kid had cut him. His hair was slicked back and he wore a sweatshirt over a muscle shirt. He looked scrawny. He was rather muscular but he was small. I could tell he was younger than me, by far, maybe two or three years.

One of the boys came running, "You ok, Ponyboy?" he asked.


	3. Ponyboy

**Author's Note: **All the opinions here aren't real. I just made them up.

**Disclaimer: **Same as always, I do not own The Outsiders!

Chapter Three

Ponyboy Curtis

I did a double take, "Um, did you just say your name was Ponyboy?"

The kid nodded, "I'm fine."

I kept looking at him in a funny way. Ponyboy, like from _The Outsiders_.

"Hey," said one boy, "how's the kid."

"I'm fine, what are you doing outa the cooler, Dal?"

"Good behavior, got off early," the boy said. "Hey," he stuck his finger out at me, "what do you Socs think you're doing helping out a greaser like Ponyboy, here?"

I gawked, "Um…well, you see, we're not Socs. I'm not a Soc, you may think that Jessica here is, but we're not. We're from the Reader's Convention over there. Did you call him Dal?" I asked Ponyboy.

"Yeah," Pony said.

"As in Dallas Winston?" I asked him. He looked just like in the movie.

"Oh, cut it out, Gaia," Jake snapped. "You live in a fantasy world too much. If anything these people are remaking the movie."

"Yeah, my name's Dallas Winston, my friends call me Dally or Dal."

"I'll call you Dally if you don't mind," I said grinning at him. I looked at the rest of the gang.

The boy who'd asked Pony if he was ok came over. "I should be thanking you. My name's-"

"Darrel or Darry as they all call you. I know," I said smiling. I pointed to Two-Bit, "Two-Bit Matthews, Sodapop, Steve, and Johnny." Then I felt like an idiot. Tell them something they don't know, Gaia!

"Yeah," Soda said, "how'd you know?"

I pulled my wallet from my back pocket and pulled out my essay. I handed it over to him and he gave it to Pony.

"'Gallant Dally Winston,'" Pony read, "'in the book _The Outsiders_ Ponyboy Curtis and Johnny Cade end up in trouble when Johnny kills a Soc. They then turn to Dallas 'Dally' Winston, who gives them a hideout, money, and a gun-'" He stared at me. "Did you make this up? 'Cause it sounds like it."

I took my essay back, "No! I had to write an essay on a character from a book or movie for my class and I chose to write about Dally." I looked at Dally, boy was he hott.

"Why'd you write about me?" Dally asked pulling the cigarette away from his mouth.

I shrugged; I couldn't tell him about all the poems I had written when I saw the movie. I couldn't tell him how he'd been my favorite character…he'd just laugh at me.

Dally smiled at me. Then Steve saw his hand and said, "You break up with Sylvia again?"

"Yep," Dally handed the cigarette to Johnny, "and this time it's for good, little broad was two-timin' me while I was in jail, man."

Johnny offered the cigarette to me and I shook my head. Jake took it though and passed it on while having a coughing fit.

"Ok…" he said weakly, "note to self, never have one of those again."

Dally looked over at everyone, "I'm going to see the movies, anyone want to come?"

"Nah," Steve said, "Soda and I are taking Evie and Sandy to the game." He shot Ponyboy a look.

"We'll go," Ponyboy jumped up meaning for him and Johnny to go.

Dally turned to Jake, Jess, and I. "What about you three? Wanna come along?"

I knew what was gonna happen but I said, "Sure."

Jake looked at Jess, "Hey, Steve, do you think Jess and I could come along with you to the game?"

Steve nodded. I pulled Jess and Jake aside, "Where are we going to sleep?" I asked.

They both just stared at me, like I'd figured something out, which I hadn't.



I met Dally, Johnny, and Pony at the corner and it was still light outside. They walked into a store and I followed, I knew that Dally would steal two packages of Kools, but I wouldn't touch anything.

Johnny and Pony followed Dally to the Dingo for some Cokes and they all blew straw wrappers at the waitresses. I even shot my straw wrapper at Dally and said when he looked at me, "Dang it, I missed."

Dally and the rest of the boys watched a fight going down with two Greasers but Dally hurried us outa there when the switchblades came out. I nearly shook my head. These were grown adults, yet they acted like they were four!

I would've paid but because of who I was with I had to climb under the barbed wire fence. I nearly got scratched but managed to get through. Dally led the way to the stands and I felt like I was going to hurl. Then I said to Dally, "I'm gonna go get a Coke, brb."

Dally nodded and sat down behind this red headed girl and her friend.

I walked over to the desk where they sold tickets, "Hey," I said, knowing they wouldn't remember everyone they sold tickets too. "You gave me too much change." I pulled out a dollar from my wallet.

"We gave you a dollar in change?" He asked.

"Yeah, all I had was a dollar twenty-five and I paid for four people."

"Then why didn't you keep your twenty-five cents?" he asked.

"Um, because all I had was three dimes, a quarter, and a fifty cent piece. You must have thought I was paying for one person."

The guy checked his drawer; sure enough he had three dimes, a quarter, and a fifty cent piece. I knew that because I had peeked in his cash drawer to see what amount I had to bargain with. Then he took my dollar and I bought a Coke.

I got back to my seat to see Dally fooling around with those girls. The red head was getting angry. I took the seat next to Dally.

"Are you a real red-head?" He asked. Cherry (I knew her name from the book) turned around.

"Why don't you be nice and leave us alone?"

Dally grinned roguishly, "I'm never nice. Can I interest you in a Coca-Cola?"

"GET LOST, HOOD!" She yelled in his face. I nearly hit her; you just don't talk to guys who are my friends like that. Especially not Dally who was going to die soon. I didn't like to think about that.

"Are you going to start in on us now, too?"

Pony shook his head and I glared at her.

"Maybe I will, Sherri," I snapped.

"How'd you know my name was Sherri?"

I glared at her, "Just leave Dallas alone, ok? Damn it all," I muttered. "Perhaps you should leave before something happens…it'll do us all a favor and no one will get hurt."

"Are you threatening me?" She asked.

"No, I'm telling the truth, you stay around here for much longer and some shit's gonna happen."

She asked Ponyboy his name and then Dallas came back.

He gave out popcorn and Cokes. "Here, I thought this might cool you off."

Cherry threw her Coke in his face, "That might cool you off, greaser! And when you learn to talk and act decent I might cool off, too!"

Dally wiped the Coke off his face, "Fiery, huh? Just they way I like them." He went to put his arm around her.

"Leave her alone, Dally," Johnny said.

Dally was taken off guard but left calling me to come with him. I stood up and walked with him, afraid of making him angry.


	4. Being Dally's Girlfriend

**Author's Note: **I don't really have an author's note except that this chapter is probably the cheesiest one of them all (extra sharp cheddar, but hey, there's nothing wrong with that.)

**Disclaimer:** Oh, if only I owned The Outsiders or any thing that was such a big hit...then I could pay the professors at like, U of M or MSU to do my homework but I'm stuck...darn it. It's not mine, unfortunately.

Chapter Four

Being Dally's Girlfriend

Dally lit a cigarette and took a drag, "Come here, Gaia."

I liked Dally, he was hott and for some reason I liked him. But I did fear him. I didn't move.

"I'm not gonna hurt you, now come here!" He ordered and I took a step forward. He slid his arm around me. "I know you're a real red-head." He ran his fingers through my hair. Was this Dally Winston? The Dallas Winston that had been in jail? The Dally Winston who'd stolen from a store? The Dally that would end up dead under a streetlight?

I shivered. "You cold?" He asked me. I shook my head and he drew me closer. I inhaled. He smelled good. Not like the kids on the bus who have really bad B.O. The scent was familiar but I didn't remember it. I couldn't imagine that Dally Winston would care about what he smelled like. Was this the Dally that Sylvia knew? Why would she two time on him? I wouldn't have.

He slid his ring off his finger and handed it to me.

"What?" I asked.

"Hasn't a guy ever given you his ring before?" He asked.

"No," I said truthfully.

"Well, if you accept it, you're my girl."

What cheesy words. I'll admit that, but still it meant a lot to me. I agreed and asked him if he had a chain that I could put it on. There was no way it was going to fit on my finger. It was way too big. I suddenly realized how tall and large Dally was. He was my age, only he was taller than me.

"Awe, what a touching moment," said a voice from the shadows.

"Hey, Tim, what's up?" Dally asked the man emerging from the shadows.

"Hey, I know you slashed my tires!" Tim yelled. He looked angry. But then again, I don't know for a fact that Dally didn't slash his tires. Moment he got back he had to rescue Ponyboy. But Dally and Tim began to fight. I stayed outa sight not sure if I should break up the fight or not. I figured I'd better not so I stayed back. Tim left soon and Dally grabbed my hand.

"Come on," he urged.

"Where're we going?" I asked him, I knew the place. Buck Merril's, I was _not_ looking forward to it.

"Buck's, he's throwing a party and we'll be able to crash down there." Oh, boy, a party.

Dally knocked on the door and Buck answered, "Hey, Dally, what do ya want?"

"Can we crash here, Buck? I got into a fight with Shepard."

Buck let us in and Dally led all the way to the bedroom. I glanced at the bed. I shook my head.

"I ain't gonna do anything, I'm just gonna sleep," Dally told me, taking off his shirt to inspect the damage Shepard had done to him. I saw how lean and muscular he was. I collapsed on the bed and turned the pillow over and lay down to sleep.

---

Next thing I knew I awoke to find Ponyboy on the bed, his shirt off and a towel around his shoulders. "Hey, Pony," I said, lifting my head. I could feel the indentation Dally's ring had made into my hand. "Don't tell me, Johnny killed a Soc." I said sitting up. I ran a finger through my hair, wishing I had taken up Jess's offer to have her do my hair. It was all tangled and knotted up. Dally threw a shirt at Pony. "Here, it's Buck's, you and he ain't exactly the same size, but it's dry. Here's fifty bucks, and for Pete's sakes, Johnny don't point that gun at me! It's loaded."

Dally sat down on the bed in between Johnny and Pony. "Here's what you do," he said lighting up a cigarette. "You take the three fifteen train to Windrixville. There's an old abandoned church a top Jay Mountain. There's a pump in the back so you won't have to worry about water." He went on to describe the plan.

He walked Johnny and Pony down the stairs and came back up. "Whoa, I never thought Johnny could kill anyone."

I shook my head, "I figured that he would if pushed to the limits."

"Wonder why Ponyboy was wet…it wasn't raining out."

"Probably they tried to drown him or poured water on him." I suggested not wanting Dally to get to suspicious. Dally sat down next to me and shook his head. "I hope they don't get caught."

That I think was the side of Dally everyone suspected he had, but no one knew for sure that he had it. Dally appeared to be tough and everything, but he still was afraid.

---

Next thing I knew Dally shook me awake and the cops were standing there. "Come on, Gaia, they want us to come with them." Dally slid his shirt back on and I stood up. We followed them down to the cop's car and Dally and I slid in the back. I didn't like this feeling.

I could tell that as Dally's girl I was expected to know things. I wouldn't tell them the truth. Well not the full truth. If they asked where they were I would say no, because I don't know where they are now. I don't know where exactly Windrixville is.

They split us up and the cop asked me, "Just what is your relationship with Dallas Winston?"

"As of today I'm his girlfriend."

"And you've already had sex?"

"No! We just crashed there because Dally got angry and we left the movies early and didn't have anywhere else to go."

"Your name?"

"Gaia Schultz," I said truthfully.

"Do you know a boy named Ponyboy Curtis?"

"Yeah, he's cool," I said.

"Do you know Johnny Cade?"

"Dark skinned man? Sixteen? Yeah, I know him. He's scared of everything."

"Do you know where they are now?"

"Home?" I asked.

"No, they're not home."

"Then I don't know," I said thinking that they were either at Windrixville or still on the train.

They kept asking me those questions over and over again. I responded the same to each question.

"Sir," one cop said to the man questioning me, "Dallas talked." He stopped when the other guy held up his hand.

"Do you know where they are?"

They must have thought that if Dally had talked and I had heard that I would say the same thing. I knew Dally had told them Texas. I just said, "I don't know, I've told you that, officer."

"Don't get sassy!" He snapped at me.

"Well, I'm confused, why ask me the same questions over and over again when I've told you all I know?"

"You can go," he said ushering me out of the room.

Dally took my hand and led me out, "Come on, let's go to the lot."

The lot, what started the whole thing. Well, it didn't start it, but it pretty much did. If Johnny and Pony hadn't slept at the lot then it wouldn't have happened.

"I wonder who paid for me at the movies." Dally said to me.

"Why?" I asked, afraid he would beat me if he knew that I had paid for him, Johnny, and Pony.

"Cops said that they were surprised that I had paid for a ticket."

"Oh?" I asked, blushing.

"You paid for it, didn't you?" Jake asked appearing through the darkness.

I nodded, "Yeah, I paid for the ticket when I went to get a Coke." I saw Jake and Jess. "Where'd you guys come from?"

"We just got done with the game and came to see what you were up to."

I sighed, Jake and Jess took a seat near us, "Wow, so I guess this is the beginning of the end?" Jess asked me.

Dally took a puff on his cigarette, "The end of what?"

"Nothing."


	5. Dally and I go out

**Author's Note:** I have no idea if the costs for these items are correct, I used the ratio .25/5.00 and cross multiplied to get the percent of change for how much clothes would cost. My math teacher should be proud of me, I did math for fun! (Shakes head in wonder) So, I don't know if they're right, sorry about that.

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own The Outsiders. sighs>>>> Wishes it was, but openly admits it's NOT MINE!

Chapter Five

Dally and I go out

Jess and I went to the store to buy some clothes and a chain for Dally's ring. I had over one hundred dollars in my wallet (mom figured I would need it) but looking at the prices I realized that I could walk out with over half the store! Jess shook her head.

She couldn't believe the prices. I couldn't either. I had figured out that if going to the movies cost about twenty-five cents then clothes must cost around five dollars. I was right too! Only a little less! I bought myself clothes for around seven days. Jess helped me pick out a pink skirt that went to my knees, a blue skirt, a pair of jeans (go figure, the guy stared at me, only because women were just starting to go out in public with pants, I guess). I also got a few more skirts and a few shirts. Jess made sure I got a few sweatshirts.

The total came to around twenty five dollars! Jess got some clothes too and we set them in the Curtis's home. Darry had lent us a room so we wouldn't have to sleep outside once we explained to him about how we didn't have anywhere to live.

I changed into the pink skirt and white sweatshirt. "Come on," Jess urged, "I have my license and Steve said he'd lend us the car to go shopping, let's go see what the boys are doing."

We climbed in the car and I noticed it was a stick shift, "Can you drive a stick?" I asked.

"Yeah, stick, automatic, whatever…" Jess put the car in gear and drove off. She grinned, "Did you and Dally have fun at the movies?"

"Yeah, what about you and Jake?"

Jess smiled shyly. "Uh-oh," I said watching her, "was it that bad?"

Jess fluttered her eyelashes at me. "Uh-uh, I thought so! You and Jake are going out!"

"Just like you and Dally," she pointed to my necklace.

"Big deal, if I don't do something Dally will die in about six days. I've got an idea in motion. I just have to stay with Dally-"

"But what about when we go home?" Jess asked.

I sank in my seat, "I hadn't thought of that."

Jess shrugged, "It's not like it makes a difference, either Dally lives or dies…"

"But what if I chose to stay here-"

"Then you're a fool." Jess informed me. I bristled at that.

"What if I stay until…say if Dally and I break up…?"

"You'll just get hurt either way." I looked away, lifting Dally's ring onto the chain. Fastening it around my neck, I couldn't see how it had stayed off for so long. I didn't say anything, but imagined what if I did succeed in keeping Dally a live? I didn't know what would happen. I thought about Dally, how even under pressure of the cops didn't betray his friends. It maybe against the law but it sure as hell showed loyalty! That was a quality I valued. If you didn't stick to anyone or anything you couldn't be counted on. Jess just didn't seem to understand, because to her, she could just pick up another guy. I wasn't that way, in fact I hadn't even imagined that anyone could ask me out. I was seventeen (same age as Dally…maybe a little younger, I can't remember his age!) but this was my first date. Jess didn't realize I was experiencing this for my first time. I turned towards the dashboard and tried to find a good radio station.

I simply hate the oldies. After having to listen to my father have that on his radio all the time, I just got tired of it! I really wished for my Avril CD's, I was even willing for a Fifty Cent CD and I can't stand him. I could choose a life with Dally or I could choose a life without him. I couldn't pick. In the end, I wouldn't have to.

---

Soda was arm wrestling with Steve when we pulled up. Soda was winning and I was glad. I liked Soda more than Steve. I couldn't help but cheer on Soda when the gang gathered around to watch.

To everyone's surprise (except for Jake, Jess, and I) a little Sting Ray car pulled up. Sitting in there was Cherry Valance. The guys began to ask if they should jump her.

She came out of the car and explained all about how the fight was her fault, "If I hadn't had Ponyboy and Johnny sit with me then the fight wouldn't have happened. It's my entire fault; I hear that you boys are planning a rumble."

She looked to Dally for a confirmation, "Yeah, that's right."

"I'll tell you everything they're planning." She promised. In that moment I couldn't have thought any less of Cherry. She was going against her own people! While what she was doing was honorable, especially since the Greasers and the Socs don't get along, she wasn't being very loyal.

Dally grinned at her. "Want to tag along with Gaia and me to the Dingo for a Coke?"

"No, thank you," and then she told him to go to hell. I stiffened but Cherry just climbed back into her car and drove off. I glared at her but Dally slid his arm around me and led me to his Mustang.

He drove off and kept changing the radio station, "So, Dally, why'd you come here instead of stay in New York?" I asked him.

"I had to get away from the old man," he told me driving up to the restaurant. I got out of the car and we headed towards the door. Dally ordered Cokes for the both of us, I have to admit this. I'm not a fan of Coke; I love Pepsi, but not Coke. Still I didn't complain and I drank it down. Dally and I talked about everything we could think of and finally I said, "I wonder if Pony and Johnny are ok."

"They're fine, ole Pony knows how to take care of himself and Johnny's too scared to do anything else."

"He really looks up to you, you know."

"He does?" Dally asked.

"Yeah, I suspect he looks at you like a father figure or something. I suspect all he wants if for you to be proud of him." I wondered if I should be telling Dally this.

"Wonder why," Dally muttered taking a fry from the plate.

"Who wouldn't?" I asked.

Dally laughed, "Yeah, no one looks up to me. I'm a bad example. After all I terrorize the streets and was in prison at the age of ten."

I surveyed him over the rim of my glass. "You don't sound proud."

Dally shook his head, "I'm not. I did what I had to do to survive. I like who I am, but what I wouldn't give to be me again."

Was this the Dally that hardly ever showed? Yeah, most likely. I rubbed a circle on the table top. Dally's hand covered mine. "Come on, Gaia, let's get out of here." Dally threw a dollar bill on the table and we left.

Dally and I walked around town talking and laughing. If nothing went to plan, this would be the Dally I would cry for.

"Do you ever wonder what life would be like if you were a different person?" Dally asked, cussing at a passerby who brushed into him.

"No," I said moving aside to avoid a group of kids chasing after each other. "Because if I wasn't me I don't see what the point to life would be."

Dally laughed and we went into a store. I saw an aisle of books and being the geek that I am, I went to look at them.

"I can't stand to read," Dally commented as I picked up a novel.

"I enjoy reading," I said, "I learn so many things and some of it doesn't even matter. I have over three hundred books at home."

"Three hundred!"

"Yeah, and I really like them. I don't think I would stop reading…"

"What's the best thing you've ever learned from a book?"

I thought for a moment and then said, "Well, the grossest thing I've ever learned was that the Egyptians used to pull the brain out of a person's dead body by using a hooked object and pulling it out of the nose."

"Interesting," Dally admitted picking up a copy of one of the novels I had to read for a book report once. It was a dull book. I told him so and he asked in my opinion what the best books to read were.

"Science fiction," I answered at once. I couldn't stand that look he gave me. It was a look that said, 'no, really.' But it was so intense that I turned away and asked him if he had ever read any sci-fi books.

"No," Dally said laughing, "Do I look crazy to you?"

I laughed and said yes, he chased me from the store.

---

The next day I met Dally by the movie theater. Jake and Jess were double dating with us and Dally actually _paid_ for the tickets. I bought popcorn because I felt like a moocher. I didn't like that feeling. Besides, it didn't matter, I still had around eighty dollars and it wasn't like I was going to need much money to buy two large popcorns.

We sat in the back row and I prayed I would actually get a view of the screen instead of when I normally went to the movies to see things like _The Matrix-Reloaded_, _LOTR_, _ROTS_ and all those movies. I didn't have to sit behind anyone tall and fat. I actually got a clear shot of the screen. Not that I paid attention. It was a boring movie but I watched it. To my surprise Dally held my hand through the movie. He kept making faces at Jess and Jake who were kissing in the seat next to him. I kept trying not to laugh or tell them to get a room.

The movie ended and we all left the theater. Jessica said she wanted to go shopping so we went to the mall. The guys kept shoving clothes into our hands while they arm wrestled on the table outside of the dressing room. Jake lost all except once when Dally's elbow slipped off the table from this little boy sitting on the table and shoving it. Still, I had to admit Jake won that one. Jess admitted to me that she actually was beginning to rethink her popularity.

"I think that I'll give up on my friends, they're too mean."

"If we can get home," I commented while lacing up my sneakers.

She pulled a slip of paper out of her purse and showed it to me.

**4:09 times…**

**Square the numerator**

**Add the latitude and longitude**

**Find the time and the location**.

I pushed it away, "What does this have to do with anything?"

"I've been thinking about how to get out of here. I figure that if I put the latitude over the longitude, square the numerator and then add that to the time, divide by twenty-four I can get the location and the time to get back!"

I rolled my eyes, "Good luck with that one." She laughed and we paid for our packages.


	6. Church on Fire

**Disclaimer: **Same as always. I do not own The Outsiders. If I did, there would be major changes to the book (Johnny and Dally don't die...Ponyboy gets a girlfriends...Cherry and Bob leave town...) BUT I DO NOT OWN IT!

Chapter Six

Church on Fire

Dally woke me up in the lot the next morning. "Hey, pretty girl, get up!" He sang a bunch of dirty words at me.

"Stupid alarm clock," I said sleepily, "let me sleep." I whacked him, thinking I had hit the snooze button on my clock. Next thing I knew I was awake and in the air. Dally had picked me up and was carrying me towards the car.

"Dally! Put me down!" I screeched.

"Shush," he told me. "It's ok to head down to the church. I think everything's cleared up." Jess lifted her head from the pillow we'd bought at the store (we had set up a tent so we could have some shelter.)

"Everything's clear?" She asked, excited.

Dally eyed her, "Yeah, but I'm not taking everyone, what a scene!"

"Oh, come on, just Jake, Gaia, and I," Jess said grabbing a coat and shaking Jake awake. "It's not like they're gonna come back with us," she lied.

I eyed her and Dally nodded, "Ok," he threw a jeans jacket over his shoulders and motioned for me to come with him.

Jess and Jake made to follow but Dally said he wanted a word with me. I followed him behind a building.

"I'm not so sure this is a good idea," he said taking my arm. In a second I had his hand smarting.

"I can take care of myself; I took Tai Kwon Do at the Y in Michigan. And I took muju jitsu." I paused and looked at him, "Besides, you're Dallas Winston; you don't care for anyone…or anything except yourself."

He took a hold of my shoulders, "I care about you and the gang." He kissed me. And as I kissed him back I realized that that was the one thing that was missing from S. E. Hinton's book. A relationship. Ok so they say that they go out but really it's missing the guts of life. Not the kissing part but the relationship.

Anyway I suppose it would all come to an end sooner or later. I just wish he could have been latter…

---

Dally really liked to drive fast, I sat in the front seat with him. "Look!" He said, lifting his hands from the steering wheel, "No hands!"

Jake cheered and yelled, "Go faster, Dallas, go faster!" Jess shrieked in fear.

"NO! Dally, go SLOWER! I'M GONNA PUKE!"

"Go ahead, you'll clean it out, 'cause this ain't my car," Dally said placing his hands back on the steering wheel.

I was having a great time; it was fun to just ride with Dally, especially since he drove like a maniac. Jake and Jess began betting on if he would miss the corner or would kill us. Dally saw a cop and slowed down, just a hair so he was in the speed limit. He did get pulled over.

"Where's the fire, boy?" the cop asked.

Dally just shrugged, "I nearly lost control of the car, bad brakes you know…" he said looking at the car. "I think it needs to be checked out…"

"All right, son, but you just make sure you keep the car under control until you get in checked out." The cop went away.

"Loser," Dally hissed. He continued to drive at a slower pace, but you could tell he was itching to go faster. I yawned in the front seat, wishing I could have gotten more sleep. But I was glad that Dally had asked me to come along. I had a plan written out. I had written it the night before because I knew that Dally would head out today.

**Keep Johnny from going inside the burning church. If he doesn't go in there, then Dally won't either. Then you can help Ponyboy and everything will be ok. **

It was a stupid plan, but it was the only one I thought would work. Little did I realize how much Dally cared for me and how hard it was to control Johnny.

---

Dallas pulled up in front of the old church and opened the door. It was still dawn, not dawn-dawn but still morning. It was around eleven, not quite yet noon. Jess kicked the door open and slid out onto the ground, kissing the grassy ground.

"LAND! I KISS THE LAND!" She drew two victory fists and said a couple hallelujahs and what not.

"It wasn't that bad," Dally said, hauling her to her feet.

Jake staggered out and said, "I think I need to get my land feet instead of my car feet," he wobbled.

I kept right on walking towards the church. The sooner I get them away from here, the easier it would be to keep Dally alive.

Dally climbed through the boards and helped us into the church.

"Glory," he said, "look at this, he sure looks different, doesn't he?"

I nodded, not at all surprised to see Ponyboy with his hair blonde. I must admit I didn't like it as much. It was kinda like when Fredrick (Free drick, no I'm not kidding, that was how he pronounced it) decided to turn blonde and grow his hair out to his shoulders. Except, Pony's hair wasn't that long.

"Hey, Dally!" Pony exclaimed, seeing Dallas.

"Hey, Ponyboy, or should I say, sleeping beauty?"

Pony rolled his eyes and sat up, I could tell he was excited to see us; we were from the real world, not this tiny place.

"Hey, I have a letter here for a Ponyboy Curtis," Dally said, pulling out the letter from his jeans coat, after he had awoken Johnny.

"A letter for me?" Pony asked, taking it, "from whom?"

"The President of the United States, stupid, it's from your brother Sodapop."

Johnny put his head in his hands and asked Dally, "Man what's the deal with the cops?"

"Why'd you and Gaia get hauled in?" Pony asked. Jess and I were looking at all the old things and when I heard my name I turned around.

"Man, those boys at the station know me by now." I didn't like it when Dally said that. "Everything that happens on our turf they call me in. Gaia just happened to be with me and they took her in, too. Get this, the cops kinda beat it outa me that you guys were headed for…Texas, can you get that?"

Pony stood up and I pointed to the cigarette butts. "Can't you guys clean up after yourselves?" Jake asked, tossing the butts into the fireplace.

"You guys hungry? I have some cash and I skipped breakfast, so I'm starving."

"YOU'RE STARVING?" Johnny squeaked.

We all got back into the car and drove to the DQ. I must admit the Dairy Queen back then looked very odd. It was so old…I couldn't imagine a seventeen year old girl from Michigan was in Tulsa, Oklahoma for a Reader's Convention only to be transported to like the eighties, well, duh! I was living that, not imagining it. We all gorged on barbecue sandwiches. Johnny and Pony were drinking Coke but I had a chocolate shake.

Jess and Jake were pouring over the math problem that Jess had set up.

36/96 square the numerator so you get 696/96 you get 7.25, times that by four hundred and nine and you get-2965.25, divide by twenty four equals 123.55 so you have to be somewhere at one o'clock-twenty three minutes and fifty five seconds…outside the old theatre.

This should take us back to our time, assuming that we haven't missed anything.

"No, no, you have to add the seven days we're going to be here," Jess corrected.

Dally explained about the heater he'd been carrying while I reviewed the problem.

"I agree with Jess, Jake, you have to add point seven and then square your answer and divide by twenty-four again," I said, punching it into my calculator.

"What are you guys doing?" Dally asked seeing the problem's numerous attempts to figure it out.

"Trying to solve a math problem for Jess's advanced calculus back home," Jake lied.

123.55+.7124.25X124.25 15438.0625/24643.25

"That works, only instead of one twenty-three it's six forty three."

"How do we know if we're right?" Jess asked taking the paper from Jake, "why point seven instead of seven?"

"It doesn't give us the right amount of time." Jake explained.

"We're going back to turn ourselves in," Johnny said out of no where.

"What did you say?" I asked turning away from Jess's big idea that we had to be outside the theatre at six forty-three.

Jake leaned towards him, "That's not possible. You can't turn yourselves in."

"It's not fair for Ponyboy to have to hide out in a church all his life. And I ain't aiming to stay there all my life either. It was all in self-defense, Pony and Cherry can testify to that."

Dally chewed on his fake ID card, "You sure? Us Greasers get it worse than anyone."

"I'm sure," Johnny said, "it ain't fair for Ponyboy."

"If we're gonna go back, we shouldn't go to the church, I have a bad feeling about it," I said leaning in towards Dally.

Jess yanked me back and hissed in Spanish, "Just what do you think you're doing?"

"I want to save their lives!" I yelled at her still speaking Spanish.

Dally turned to us, "Hey, you girls wanna cool it?" He swore and drove off like a maniac towards the church.

DALLY, YOU IDIOT! DON'T! I wanted to cry.

"Johnny, I ain't mad at you…I just don't want what happened to me to happen to you…GLORY!" Dally swore when he saw the church.

The church (surprise, surprise) was on fire. "Wonder how that started," Jake commented from the back seat.

Ponyboy jumped out of the car and ran along, "GET BACK HERE, BEFORE I KILL YOU!" Dally shrieked.

Before I could grab a hold of him, Johnny was out like a light.

"JOHNNY! DON'T!" I yelled running after him.

"Gaia! Get back here!" Dally yelled after us when Jess and Jake came running too.

I took off after them, not being indolent about my running, I raced after Johnny. I was too late; Johnny and Pony were already in the church.

I climbed in, followed by Jess, "Hey is it hot in here or is it just me?" She asked.

"Not funny! Help me get Johnny out!" I yelled heading towards the back of the church. Johnny and Ponyboy were lifting kids out of the church and out into Dally's awaiting arms.

"Go, Johnny!" I yelled trying to shove him out. Ponyboy fell and Dally caught him.

Dally swore loudly, cussing as he smacked Ponyboy's back. Pony fell like a lead brick.

"Pony?" Dally asked, "Jesus Christ!"

"Watch it, Dallas," I snapped trying to force Johnny through the window. Jess raced out and then the church's roof began to collapse.

"HELP!" Johnny screamed.

"I'm coming, Johnny," Dally cried, gallantly rushing forward. Timber fell around me as I saw Johnny's limp form lifted out to Jake. Dally tried to get to me.

I screamed when a huge piece of timber fell on my shoulder, Dally caught me in his arms and I saw his worried, anxious face before I passed out.

---

I awoke in an ambulance, "Dallas?" I asked in confusion, my eyes seeking a familiar face.

The medical technician saw my eyes open, "Hey, you're awake-"

I jerked upright, "Where's Dallas!"

"Dallas is…which one?"

"The dark haired boy with the jeans jacket on, not the one with the scar, the other one," I rushed. "How are Jake and Jess?" I asked. "Jake's the one with the cargo pants and the spiked hair-"

"Dallas has a burned arm, but he'll live. Jess and Jake are fine, just a bit of smoke inhalation. We had to rip your necklace apart to keep it from melting into your skin. Unfortunately it got a little hot and fell on your arm; you'll have that scar forever."

"Is the ring ok?" I asked, extending my hand for it.

The tech handed the ring to me; I inspected every micro-centimeter. It was fine. I surveyed my surroundings; this wasn't like any ambulance I had ever been in, I know because once I swallowed a bee on a dare from my best friend and they rushed me to the hospital in the ambulance because our car had broken down.

I rubbed my eyes and winced when the tech stuck a needle in my arm. I could stand the oddness of it going in, but to watch the needle sink into my skin…I shuddered.

"You kids were really brave," the tech nodded at me. "If I could have any of you as kids, you'd be the one…Miss?"

"My name's Gaia." I said to the man.

"Gaia…I like that name…what's your last name?"

"Schultz," I said, leaning back. I felt dizzy, dizzier than anything I'd ever felt before. "Will Johnny be all right?"

"If he lives he will be a cripple," he said.

"Will he live?" I asked, desperate for him to say I arrived on time.

"Probably not."

I screamed.

---

In my room I yawned and listened to the nurse tut-tut over my cuts, bruises, and burn.

"What about Dallas?" I kept asking.

"He'll be fine! Let's concentrate on you!"

Ouch, what a grouch. "Fine, what do you need to know?"

"Name?"

"Gaia Andromache Schultz," I told her, "I'm part Greek and part German. I think…"

"Age?"

"Seventeen," I said, starting to fix the chain that the tech had broken.

"Date of birth?"

"January twenty-eighth."

"Allergies?"

"Hospitals," I struggled to keep my voice and face straight.

She wasn't amused and kept repeating herself, "This isn't a vacation, young lady, I would expect better of you. This isn't a vacation-"

"I get it! Ok? I'm allergic to pears and nuts," I yelled in frustration.

"Don't take that tone with me, young lady!"

"I'm not a lady!" I have this argument diurnally with my mother! "Can I have my clothes, please?"

"No, stay in the hospital pajamas until we can get a hold of your family."

My family! The only family I have alive is Granddaddy Schultz and my father! But they won't know that! For crying out loud, I'm not going to be born until the time Ponyboy's nineteen!

"Uh, I'm staying with Darrel Curtis as of now," I said. But the nurse had left already.

I sighed and got up. I had to find Dally. Make him promise not to do anything foolish!


	7. The Hospital

**Author's Note: **Ok, I have exciting news for the Star Wars/Outsider fans (baisically, people like me!) Francis Ford Coppola (director of The Outsiders, the movie) visited the set of Revenge of the Sith during filming. Why did I not know this until recently? Why did no one tell me? Ok, yeah, Star Wars tie in...sorry to all you Star Wars haters (actually, I'm not sorry at all...I am a huge Star Wars fan so, not sorry!) LOL. Ok, and to Bodom's Girl, Grace, I'm using the dates from the movie. I haven't ever checked out the date it was written...sorry about that. You can change it if you want to, or just ignore it, I don't care but thanks for pointing that out. Next time I write something about The Outsiders I'll be sure to keep the right date in mind.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own The Outsiders. I don't own Star Wars either (actually, that doesn't come up in this chapter, but whatever.) I don't own anything!

Chapter Seven

The Hospital

I got up and walked the halls in those awful green pajamas that are given to every patient. I didn't have a clue where to find Dallas, all I knew was that I had to find him.

I heard his voice in the room down the hall. "No, just get out, leave me the hell alone! Get out! OUT, WOMAN! IF YOU WON'T TELL ME HOW MY FRIENDS ARE DOING, I'LL KILL YOU!"

"Hey, Dallas," I said, sticking my head in the door.

"Gaia," he looked at me, a grin of pure joy stretching across his face. If I didn't save him, then I'd never see him again. Heaven or hell. And the saving part went for religion too. I sat down on the end of the bed.

"I should've known you would be terrorizing the nurses, Dallas," I nearly laughed.

Dally shoved aside the pillows and sat up, "Got a cancer stick?" He asked me.

I shook my head no. I don't like cigarettes; don't like the smell or anything about them. I wondered if Dally smoked because he didn't care. Oh, well, I couldn't make him care…

"How's Johnny doing?" He tried to sound like he didn't care.

"The medical technician who wrapped my arm said that they didn't count on Johnny…living," I muttered eyeing my arm. "Why do I have a huge gash in my arm?" I asked louder.

"Huh?" Dally took a hold of the arm that did not have a burned shoulder. "Oh," he looked disturbed, "when I pulled you out of there, something hit my switchblade's button and when I dropped you to put it away, it dragged on your arm. Are you ok?"

I shrugged, "I'd feel better if Johnny was going to be ok and you wouldn't do anything stupid if Johnny does…"

Dally nodded, "I'd feel better about Johnny too."

"Don't do anything stupid, Dallas," I warned.

"Stupid? By what do you mean 'stupid'?"

I bought myself time by biting the metal chain link to fix the necklace. "Don't do anything like getting yourself killed if Johnny dies," I pleaded.

He just stared at me.

"Promise me, Dally," I begged.

He didn't answer, so I pressed harder. "Promise me, Dallas."

Dally nodded, "I promise, ok, Gaia?" He looked at me as if I would reassure him. I nodded and told him I'd hold him to that.

Promises, promises, I think now, Dally could've promised me the moon and he still would've done what he did and given me the sun. I heard a sound outside the door and turned back to Dally. He smiled at me and I glanced at the door again.

"Wonder why they're making so much no-"Dally had taken hold of my shoulders. "Dally, what are you-"

I'll let it go at that. Use your imagination, I don't have to tell you every time something happens do I? No, because you wouldn't make your daughter spill about her kisses now would you? After we kissed I told him all about my God wishing that he'd become a Christian and that way I could join him wherever he went.

I left Dally's room a few minutes later to visit Johnny. They wouldn't let me in and I got pissed. So then I went wondering around the hospital.

I squealed upon reaching a pay phone and I went to dial my number to have them come get me before I realized two things:

A: I didn't know how to dial that crazy phone and

B: My parents weren't even THINKING ABOUT ME!

So you see, what could I do? Nothing, I just had to wait so I sat down on my bed and scrawled a whole lot of Spanish phrases.

**Me llamo Gaia. Que hora es? Son las seis y cuarto? Verdad? No? Son las siete menos veinte? Que lastima! **

Really anything that was of another language that came to mind I wrote it down. I had everything from 'get lost' to 'twinkle, twinkle little star' on one sheet of paper. I heard a knock on the door and Darry and Soda walked in.

"Hey, Darry," I greeted them crossing out my 'Que lastima's!' "What's up, Pepsi-Cola?" I glanced at them.

"Um, we're gonna take Pony home now, we just came to say we'll see you tomorrow."

"Ok, Soda, I'm gonna try to get checked out by tonight." I smiled at Darry and stood up. "I'm ready to get out of here," I admitted.

---

The nurse wouldn't let me check out; no matter what I said she kept insisting that I needed to stay. I finally cussed her out in German. She still wouldn't let me go home! Wait, a second, what home? I was escorted back to my room and I lay there, tossing and turning for the longest time. Finally I gave up on sleep all together and walked down the hall.

Pediatric Oncology was plastered all over the wall of the floor below me. Having studied health I understood what they were trying to say. I walked down the hall and peeked into the rooms. Little boys were hooked up to monitors, babies lay there with IV lines going in them. I winced and then saw a little girl crying. I walked on in.

"Hey, there, don't cry," I said to her, trying to be someone she could lean on.

"I want my mom!"

Heck, I did too; I wasn't supposed to be here in Tulsa, 1983. I was supposed to be here in Tulsa in 2005! I put my arm around her, "I miss my mom, too."

"Where is she?" The little girl-Sara, it said on her hospital bracelet-asked.

"Michigan, I'm here visiting."

"Oh, I thought you were an angel."

Now that was funny. I'm a hood's girlfriend and I plan on being in a rumble. I laughed and told her, "I'm no angel; I'm a patient just like you."

Sara studied me, "You look like an angel."

I told her that I had never seen an angel and that I couldn't be one because I was dating a juvenile delinquent.

"So? Jesus sat with sinners," she told me. I smiled at her. She was cute.

"No, I'm just a bored patient who went wandering around the hospital and saw you crying. I'd actually better get back to my room before they decide to call the cops to tell them I escaped."

She laughed and when I stood up she tugged on my arm, "Come visit me again."

I told her I would if I could.

"You can, angels always visit people."

I smiled at her warmly and jogged to my room.

---

I woke up in the morning about two a.m. and there was a nurse checking my blood pressure and temperature.

"I thought I was supposed to get some rest," I muttered.

"You are," she said, "this is just routine."

I yawned, "Hey, that little girl, Sara, down in oncology, what's she in for?"

The nurse eyed me, "She's in for brain cancer. I wondered how she knew you. Said a girl with red hair and a huge burn came in to talk to her. I told her all about how you're a hero, she was really impressed."

"I'm not a hero," I said in an exasperated tone.

"Yes you are. I'm glad you met her, she's been feeling down lately and meeting you made her happy. We're all grateful for you and the two boys."

"Dally? You're grateful for Dallas?" I asked in astonishment.

"Yes, even him; he's been giving the staff a load of trouble. He tried to smoke in his room!"

I chuckled, "That's Dally."

She smiled at me, "Why, this one child heard there was a hero in that room and he went to visit him."

"Oh boy, I bet that went well," I laughed.

"Dally chased him out saying he didn't want to see anybody. The little boy said, 'I thought heroes loved kids.'"

"Not Dally," I said, "Dally doesn't like anybody. Except for about eight or nine people."

"That's still a bunch of people, sweetie," she put the stethoscope into her pocket.

"I'm not sweet; I'm seventeen, no longer sweet." I said to her fingering the cut on my arm. "I like to fight, there's no way I'm sweet." I paused and looked at her, "I want to go home tomorrow."

"We haven't reached your family-"

"You won't reach my family, ok? They're dead," I lied. How was I to tell her that my folks don't even know they're gonna have me?

She put her arms around me, "Oh, sweetie, I'm so sorry, and you saved those kids…" she started blubbering.

I pushed her off, "It doesn't matter. So can I go home?"

"What home?" She asked.

"I'm staying with the Curtis boys."

She smiled and said she'd arrange it so I could leave. I fell asleep once she left, grateful to finally have peace and quiet.


	8. Getting Ready for the Rumble

**Author's Note:** Yeah, btw, I hate Cherry Valance, I see her as responsible for everything, especially Dally's Death. If you want to know why, ask when you review. Go ahead, ask why! Cherry Valance sucks. Um, and I have an alternative ending to this story if you want it.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything. Not The Outsiders, not Star Wars, nothing...(how many times do I have to say that? It's depressing the first time, let alone millions of times after!)

Chapter Eight

Getting Ready

It was morning and I was free to go. I can't tell you why, but I didn't cut my bracelet off. I just put on my real clothes and went down to the oncology floor. I was going to see Sara and then visit Johnny.

"Ma'am," I asked the nurse at the floor, "where is the little girl named Sara? She has brain cancer…she wanted me to come visit her."

Sara's room had been empty and I didn't know why.

"Sara passed away in her sleep just after midnight last night."

"What!" I yelled.

The nurse repeated herself and I stared in shock. I hadn't gotten to see her again…she had asked me to come see her…IT WASN'T FAIR.

"It's not fair!" I wailed, "She was only a little girl!"

"I know," the nurse patted my arm, "were you close to her?"

No, not really, I had only just met her last night. I told her so and then I hurried away from the floor. Death wreaked the entire hospital and you could feel it everywhere you went.

I ran to the floor with Johnny on it and I saw a familiar head, "Hey, Ponyboy." I greeted, trying to sound upbeat. I'm sure I failed miserably. I saw Two-Bit and said hello to him as well. The doctor finally came over to convince the nurse that it was ok to let us see him. No visitors? He's that bad? Then I mentally smacked myself on the forehead, I knew that.

Johnny looked pale, paler than paper white. I almost told him he'd look great with blonde hair now, but I kept my mouth shut.

"Hey," we greeted him.

"Hey," he answered us, opening an eye.

"They're writing editorials about you in the paper and heroizing all the Greasers," Two-Bit said.

"Tuff enough," Johnny said weakly.

I sat down in the chair near the bed.

"They won't let me…grease my hair…" Johnny wheezed. Then he asked for another copy of _Gone With the Wind_. Two-Bit ran down to get another copy. That left just Ponyboy and I with Johnny.

"I used to talk about killin' myself all the time…now I don't want to die, sixteen years isn't long enough!"

"You're not gonna die, Johnny," I told him.

"Even if I do live, I'll be a cripple," Johnny said.

"You'll be fine," Pony insisted. I looked at Ponyboy. He looked like he was going to cry. I spent all this time trying to save Dallas that I had forgotten the rest of the gang. Ponyboy needed someone too. We both would if I failed to keep Dally alive. There was nothing I could do for Johnny, _nothing_! That upset me because I knew that Dally really loved that boy like a brother…

I also grieved because he was a friend. But you just don't say they're gonna die or anything.

I offered an encouraging smile; death had already floated from the oncology floor. I wondered if I turned around would I see her standing there with a scythe in her hand, ready to swoop down on Johnny. _Don't be stupid_, I scolded myself; _death isn't here, not now, not yet…_

"Johnny, your mother's here to see you."

"I don't want to see her," Johnny told her. He went on to say that she was just there to yell at him, to say she'd be happy when he died…then I paused, did Mrs. Cade cry when she learned her son was dead? Did she even care? It never said…

Johnny passed out and I was lifted from my musings. The nurse hurried us out of the room fretting about him.

Two-Bit gave her the book and we went down to the next floor to see Dally.

---

"Where's your gown?"

"I threw it away," Dally snarled at the nurse, "go on just go out, you're making my stomach sick…" he laughed when she left. He sat up to when we came in, "Hey, boy, am I glad to see you guys…they won't let me smoke…" He pulled a cigarette from the bedside table and flipped the lighter open and lit up.

"Here," Two-Bit said giving Dally something, "swiped you a gift."

I wonder why they don't say thank you. No one ever did. "Shepard came to see me, said he saw my picture in the paper and couldn't believe it didn't have 'Wanted Dead or Alive' underneath it." Dally looked at us and then asked, "How's Johnny doin', man?" He'd asked me that earlier.

Two-Bit looked at me and then to Ponyboy. He didn't face Dally, "Well, I don't know much about these things, but he looked pretty bad to me…he passed out cold just before we left."

Dally rolled over and threw the cigarette away, I could tell he didn't want us to see him cry.

"Do you still have that switch on you?" Dally asked Two-Bit.

"What?" Two-Bit looked up from the window.

"The knife," Dally snapped, holding his hand out, expectantly.

Two-Bit pulled it out, it was a beautiful knife and he opened it. I studied it, I like to see knives, I have this thing where I can judge the quality of something from something that is the same. He gave it to Dally's outstretched hand. I shook in spite of myself.

"We've got to get even with those Socs!" he smacked his hand on the bed. He rolled over and faced us, "We'll do it for Johnny! Do it for Johnny!" He leaned back against his pillows, laying the knife's blade to his forehead. I started to say something but Two-Bit grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the room.

I stared at Two-Bit as he led the way out of the hospital. We waited for the bus to come once we got to the bus stop. Ponyboy sat down and closed his eyes. I sat next to him while Two-Bit went to get a pack of cigarettes.

"Pony, you feel ok?" I asked.

"I'm fine, just a little tired that's all."

I shook my head and glanced at the hospital, "I'm worried about Johnny. And Dallas…did you see what he did with that knife?" I asked Pony. He shook his head, "He slit his wrist…I shuddered...oh, I don't think this is going to be good. I'm so worried."

Pony opened his eyes and looked at me, "Me too."

I put my elbows on my thighs and rested my head in my hands, "He's not doing so well. This whole thing…if only Dally had stayed in the cooler for another day or two…you'd never have met Cherry or Marcia…Bob wouldn't have tried to kill you…you'd never been at that church…"

"Are you blaming Dally?" Pony was incredulous.

"No, I'm not blaming Dally, I'm not blaming anyone…it's just…if one thing hadn't happened none of this would've happened.

"So, in order for Johnny to still be alive, I'd have to have been drowned…" Pony started.

I grabbed his arm, "No, Pony, don't ever say that! It's just…this whole mess…no one ever tried to do this stuff in Michigan…" I shuddered, thinking of Detroit. You just don't hear about those things.

Pony looked at me, "You seem upset…"

I shook my head, "Am I not allowed to be upset?" I asked pulling my wallet out to fish out the ten cents that was needed to ride the bus. Two-Bit came over from the gas station, smoking a cigarette. He touched Pony's forehead.

"You all right?" he asked.

"I'm fine," Pony repeated.

"You sure? 'Cause Darry'd kill me if he learned you was sick and let you fight anyway."

"Don't tell him and he won't find out." Pony warned him, stepping up when the bus came.

---

We were walking home when I noticed the Sting Ray. Sitting there was Cherry Valence.

"What's up with the big-times?" Two-Bit asked.

She greeted us, but her greeting went off when she saw me.

"You're rules, it's a fair game."

I rolled my eyes, "Oh, yeah, those at the top never play fair with those at the bottom. Trust me, I know," I tugged at my sweater.

She talked to Ponyboy, but I was furious. She was a Soc. She was rich, she had everything…she wouldn't see Johnny…she ticked me off.

---

We were all getting ready for the rumble. Don't ask why, but we felt we needed to get everything perfect. Soda and Steve had greased their hair back so as to prove they were Greasers. I had put on a pair of jeans and took my beater and put it on. Picking up a roll of gauze I went over to Jake, who was eyeing his reflection in the mirror. "Ok, bandage it up," I told him, "just incase some jerk takes a swipe at my shoulder."

He took the gauze and said, "What do you think, jeans or cargos?"

"I say bandage the shoulder and then I'll tell you." He rolled his eyes but bandaged it up and gave me a shot of morphine.

Pony walked into the bathroom and began to inspect his chin; I don't understand what guys have with hair. I thought _girls_ were supposed to care more about hair than guys. I guess not.

"Soda, when did you start shaving?" He called and I grabbed my sweatshirt with the dragon on it reading 'Dragon Con. 2005', then I shook my head and took it off.

"When I was fifteen," Soda yelled throwing a poker card at Steve.

"When did Darry?" Pony called again.

"When he was thirteen, why? You figgerin' on growing a beard for the rumble?" Soda hollered fishing in his shoe.

I threw my t-shirt that I had worn when I first got here on. It had a dragon on the front and on the back it yelled, 'I breathe fire!'

"Oh, you're funny," Pony said, coming out of the bathroom, "we should send you to _Reader's Digest_; I hear they pay a lot for funny things." I picked up a brush and went through my hair, a ponytail holder on my wrist, I would pull it back (call the newspapers!) to keep it out of my way.

Steve eyed me, "Why are you dressed in _jeans_?" I forgot that most girls wore skirts but I didn't care. I like jeans better than skirts, skirts annoy the crap out of me.

"Because I'm going with you to the rumble," I said pulling my hair back.

Steve laughed, "Girls can't fight."

I had him in a head lock in a few seconds, "Care to say that again?"

Steve shoved me off, "Get off, girlie, I wanna look my best for the rumble."

I rolled my eyes, "You're gonna get muddy anyway," I warned.

Jess came out looking frantic, "What am I gonna do, I can't find any jeans, only skirts!" She had on a long skirt

Jake offered to let her wear his jeans; he wanted to wear his cargos anyway.

"That's what you get Miss Priss." I said to her, I tied up my shoes nice and tight so I wouldn't be uncomfortable for the rumble.

Two-Bit walked in and the boys took off for the door, Jess ran back to the bedroom and in a few moments came back, ready to roll.

We were all walking down the road, and if you saw us, you would think we were all in for a swinging time. We were in a way, out to swing some punches….


	9. The Rumble

**Author's Note: **Yay! I got a St. Christopher (I'm not Catholic though...but so what?) One of my friends gave it to me as a late birthday present because she knows I love this book and Dally's my favorite character. It's not exactly like his, but I think it's great any way!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own The Outsiders. I only wish I did because then I'd be a millionaire and could change what I don't like (like Dally and Johnny dying...etc.)

Chapter Nine

The Rumble Goes Down

I looked at the gang.

There was Two-Bit, drunker than a wasted man…Soda looking hott, Steve looking crazy and carried away, Pony looked part scared part happy, Darry looked bored, Jake's eyes were wild. Then there was Jess, she looked freaked. I couldn't blame her; I wonder what I looked like then…

"Ok, Pony, Soda, if someone calls the cops you two run, we'll get jailed but you two will get the boys' home…"

"Ain't nobody gonna call the fuzz in this neighborhood!" Steve yelled, looking absolutely bonkers.

Darry eyed them, "Just so I'm clear, you hear me?"

Soda stuck out his tongue, "You sure don't need an amplifier."

I laughed.

The park was right there…in the pit of my stomach I could feel myself get sick.

_Relax, you're gonna be able to help…Dally's _**NOT**_ gonna die_! I told myself over and over…if only I could have…if…

Tim Shepard walked over, "You steppin' in for Dallas or what?" He nodded at me.

I stood up straighter and pulled my shoulders back, and then I regretted it. It only made them realize I actually was a girl, "Yes, sir!" I said proudly, hunching my shoulders down.

He laughed, "I'm not a sir," he told me, clamping his hand on my shoulder. I winced and pulled away.

"But you know," said one of the Brumly boys, "girls shouldn't be in a rumble, they might get hurt."

"Why you-"I hooked my leg around his and pushed him, he fell backwards…

He stared at me from the ground. Darry walked over and pulled me away, "Hey, we're on the same side…cool it!"

Then we shook hands and I glared at him. We stood around, waiting for the Socs to get here.

"HEY, CURTIS!" Shepard yelled.

"Which one?" Soda hollered back.

"The big one, come here!"

I walked over to Ponyboy, "I have a bad feeling about this."

He nodded, "About the rumble or tonight?"

I could feel the feeling deep in my gut, the type of feeling I get just before I burst into tears…

"Tonight," I responded, knowing I had to get this rumble over soon enough and to Dally and Johnny.

Soon we spotted the mustangs and the Socs filed out. They walked over in a line towards us and Darry took a step forward.

We all walked towards them, and the leader stopped when he saw Jess and I.

"Whoa, did you guys run out of men or something?" He laughed and poked me. I smacked his hand down. "Girls shouldn't be in a rumble."

"Why you little-"I sprung at him, but Soda caught me around my waist and held me back.

"Girls aren't allowed here, go home."

I glared at the Soc, "Do you wanna go? I'm not made of glass! You just wait, I'll get a hold of you and you'll wish you'd never said such a thing!"

Jake grabbed my arm and yanked me into place, "Relax, let them start this and _then_ you can kick his butt."

We waited for a moment and the Darry stepped up, "I'll take anyone."

A blonde boy (about as ugly as they come) stepped towards him, "Hello, Darrel, long time no see."

"Hello, Paul," Darry greeted.

"I'll take you," the boy said and then a shout from the woods drew Darry's attention.

"HEY! DON'T YOU KNOW A RUMBLE AIN'T A RUMBLE WITHOUT ME?" Dally screamed running up.

Paul swung a punch at Darry and the rumble was on.

I charged at the Soc who had insulted me by saying girls couldn't fight. He was on his back in two seconds, I put him in a headlock, and "You want to take back what you said earlier?"

"NO!"

I let go of him and he shoved his fist into my burned shoulder, I didn't scream, much as I wanted to. I grabbed his wrist and twisted it behind his back, stretching his arm and I'm sure his muscle as well. He screamed and hollered and I kicked his feet out from underneath him. He fell and I let go of him, leaving him in the mud.

I shoved people out of my way to get to Dally. He was fighting off a Soc who had his burnt arm in a death grip while trying to beat him up. I could see pain in Dally's eyes, but Dally never said a word, just kept swinging, I slipped on mud and slid into the Soc.

Dally rolled his eyes, "You should never wear heels to a rumble!"

I stood up, dusting myself off, "I couldn't help it, I slipped."

I turned away to fight at a Soc when another grabbed me from behind. The other Soc punched my stomach and I kicked at his legs. Next thing I knew I was on the ground and the Soc was toughing it out with Dally. Dallas must have charged him. I joined the fight.

Soon I was wiping blood from my eyes and Dally was cheering. The Socs were running, running! Can you believe that?

Dally grabbed my arm, "Come on," he grabbed Pony and led us to his car.

I hobbled along and climbed into the backseat. I found a box of tissues there and used them to mop up the blood spilling from my head. It also turns out that one of the Socs had torn at the scab I had from Dally's blade, it was bleeding like crazy as well. I mopped myself up.

Dallas drove faster and faster, explaining about how Johnny wanted to see us. I believed him…and I knew how much Dally needed to tell him that we won…

The cop pulled us over and shook his head at Dally, "You better have a good reason for driving like this, where's the fire?"

Dally jerked his thumb at Pony and I, "Kids fell off the motorcycle, I'm taking them to the hospital."

The cop shown his flashlight in my face and then at Ponyboy his expression changed. "Are they hurt real badly?"

"How should I know? I ain't a doc!"

"Could you use an escort?"

"Yeah, that be great," Dally said, starting up the motor.

The cop jumped into his car and drove off, lights flashing. "Sucker," Dally laughed. I could see that Dally was part crazy, he was afraid of what he would find, I was too. I was afraid I was going to lose Dallas…I touched my jeans pocket and pulled out my wallet. The folded piece of paper which my essay was written on was stuck where one of your library/credit cards went. In the picture album was a photo that Dally and I had taken just after the trip to the store (which I forgot to tell you about) his arm was around me and he actually was smiling and looking happy. I was leaning against him. Then I saw my drivers license, boy was I glad I wasn't asked to drive, because if I drove and the cops pulled me over, there was going to be a whole lot of trouble.

"I was crazy, you know that?" Dally was saying to Ponyboy, "if Johnny had been smart like me this never would have happened. You get tough," Dally slammed his hand onto the console, "and you won't-"slam, "get hurt!"

I wish I would've said something, because Dally was in for something. He would get hurt. I was scared because Dallas would get hurt…


	10. Johnny Dies

**Author's Note: **Thank you all for reviewing! You needn't worry if I'll continue, I have it all written down on the computer just waiting to be posted. This is the chapter in which I begin to feel like a murderer...but, it's not my fault! Blame S. E. Hinton, not me!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own The Outsiders (for once I'm happy to admit that, because that means no one wants to kill me for killing off Johnny and Dally.) Not mine!

Chapter Ten

Johnny Dies

I shuddered as we walked into the hospital. I could feel death and I knew if I turned around there she would be, her scythe in her hand. I trembled as the doctor came towards us.

"I'm sorry, you can't see him," the doctor told us. Dally flipped open the switchblade.

"You gotta let us see him, or you'll end up on your own operating table."

The doctor merely shrugged, "You can see him because he's dying and he's your friend…not because of that knife."

Dally tugged us both along and I glanced at the doctor.

I screamed, he had turned into death, she stood there, garbed in black, her face was smiling, the skull was smiling, and in her hands I saw a photo of Johnny. Perhaps I was delusional, I'll never know. I could just see her standing there, her grin getting wider as she moved behind me, then her picture of Johnny fell to the ground and in its place was a photo of Dally…I screamed and clutched Dally's waist. I think I screamed that she couldn't take him away…I don't know, I was messed up.

Dally took my arms down and held my hand, "Gaia, calm down, you'll scare Johnny."

Scare Johnny? SCARE JOHNNY? I was scared, I could see death and she moved into the room. Her hand went to Johnny's air tubes, a pair of garden sheers in her hand.

Dally leaned forward, "We beat the Socs, Johnnycakes, we beat the Socs, we chased them outa our territory!"

"Useless…" Johnny whispered. "Fighting's no good…" He wheezed and called Ponyboy to him.

"We're all proud of you, Johnny, I'm proud of you." Dally was setting him free.

Death winked at me as though I were a comrade, waiting to take the next life.

"Ponyboy…stay gold…Ponyboy," and just like that, Death snipped the cord and Johnny died…

Dally didn't believe it at first, no, Johnny couldn't have taken his freedom, he pushed Johnny's hair back and smiled, "You never could keep your hair back, you little punk…that's what you get for helping people!"

Dally whirled, his face contracting with pain as he tried not to cry, "Damn it, Johnny, please don't die! PLEASE DON'T DIE!" He wailed slamming his fist against the wall and he took off running. Death followed him.

I couldn't let her get to him; I took off after him screaming his name.

"Dally!" I cried into the wind as Dally neared the car. I caught up to him and threw my arms around his waist, shuddering while pressing my face in his back. Dally whirled around, shoving me to the ground.

"No, Gaia…no!" Dallas pushed my shoulder, the burned one into the ground. I screamed with pain.

"No, Dallas, no, don't!" I cried and Dally's eyes widened, as if he had just realized what he'd done.

Dally took off running into the car, he was crying. I could tell that, he was crying…

I jumped up, running after him, the taillights faded and I skidded to a stop…my breath was coming in shudders, tears falling down my face. Someone tapped my shoulder and I turned around.

It was Death.

She began laughing at me and though she never opened her mouth I could hear her voice inside my head.

_"You can't hide him from me; he set this date a long time ago. He belongs to me…why bother trying to save him?"_

"No! He won't go to you!" I yelled, running to the Curtis's home, flagging down a car. Darry would listen to me.

A man pulled up along side me, "You need a ride, little lady?" He asked.

"Please, sir, can you take me to-"I listed the Curtis boys address.

He nodded, "Hop in, me and Gloria will take you, won't we, Gloria?"

The girl in the car next to me smiled and said, "Just don't wake Kayla there."

Kayla…Gloria…those were the names of my sister and mom.

"Go, Jacob, the girl needs to get home."

I leaned my head back against the seat…Kayla was five years older than me, she was just out of college and staying at home until her boyfriend and she got married…Jacob…my father's name.

"What's your name?" Jacob asked.

"Gaia…Gaia Schultz," I said wishing he would drive faster, knowing that he wouldn't endanger the lives of his wife and daughter.

"That's funny," Gloria said.

"I don't see anything funny about my name," I whispered, touching my head, I felt dizzy.

"Our last name is Schultz," Jacob smiled at me. I almost yelled, these were my parents!

I merely nodded and leaned my head back, tears spilled from my eyes and I began to silently cry.

Boy when I got home and my mother remembered this…would she realize what had happened?

"Were you and your boyfriend having a row?" Dad asked me. Lovely, he got to know about how my first boyfriend and I fought.

"Yes," I said, "he was having emotional times and…I thought I could help him." The car stopped and I thanked my father for the ride.

I walked into the Curtis's home and stepped in the door.

Darry stood up, "Gaia…what's wrong?"

I realized that I was openly crying because Soda and Jake both had their arms around me.

"Johnny…died…I failed," I wailed to Jake, "I failed miserably…I can't stop it from happening!" I jerked away and fell to my knees in front of Darry. "Please! Help me save Dally!"

I sobbed uncontrollably as Pony came in the door. Pony told the same story I did and I begged Darry, Soda, Two-Bit, Steve, anyone to come with me to help Dally.

The phone rang and I knew I was too late…


	11. Dally

**Author's Note: **Hey, I'm sorry that Dally dies in this part...but good news! I have an alternative ending for you in which he lives! Tralalalalalalala...I know, I hate it that Dally dies which is why I make him live! (Dances and sings out loud. People tell me to shut up and hurl shoes...) Please read chapter fourteen...even if you don't want him to die...please please please? (bambi eyes)

**Disclaimer:** Don't own The Outsiders.

Chapter Eleven

Dallas

I could see death smiling at me again. She was laughing. I raced out the door, Jake on my heels.

Soon the entire gang was behind me. Adrenaline pounding through my veins I raced to the park. Dally was ahead of me, pulling the gun from his jeans' waistband. I heard the first bang.

"**_DON'T, YOU FOOL_**!" I screamed at him. To the fuzz I screamed at the top of my lungs, "**_IT'S NOT LOADED! DON'T SHOOT_**!"

Bang.

Dread filled me as I saw Dally's leg fly back.

Bang!

Dally flopped down and he rolled.

BANG.

He crawled near me and then the guns went off again.

BANG!

I screamed and fell to my knees as Dally crawled up next to me, "Pony?" He asked, seeing Ponyboy, standing above me. "Gaia? I'm so sor-"

His eyes closed and I lifted Dally's head into my lap, I lowered my forehead to touch his, "I have nothing to forgive you for, Dally," I whispered. "Don't leave me," I begged…

He was still warm; I could feel that, that meant he was still alive. I refused to believe that he was dead. The warmth receded, leaving him colder than the Keweenaw Peninsula in the dead of winter. Dallas Winston had died, and that cold, hard, mean, rude truth fell into my heart.

I laid Dallas's head on the ground with reverence. I stood up and then yelled at the police, echoing Darry's cry from the movies.

"YOU STUPID IDIOTS! YOU STUPID FREAKS! HE WAS ONLY A BOY! YOU KILLED HIM! WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU-"I called them every lousy, unprintable name in my vocabulary. Tears fell down my face and I pulled Dally's jacket off and used it to dry my tears.

I glared at the policemen and I burst into huge wracking sobs, knowing that Death was making off with her prize.

Ponyboy fell to the ground and that was all I could take. I ran off towards the theatre in which it had all begun, then I stopped, looked at Dally, his jacket in my hands. I rushed back to his corpse and pressed my lips against his. It was a stupid thing to do, now that I think about it.

Then I took off, rushing away, Jess and Jake following me. I fell to the ground, cars zipping by me and I cried. Jess and Jake wrapped their arms around me in hopes of calming me down. But I was beyond help. I wiped my tears on Dally's jacket, hoping the salty water would wipe away the blood that was now hardening into the fabric. I could hear the five shots that had been fired into Dally over and over again. I lifted my face from the jacket and stared directly at Dally.

_HE WASN'T DEAD!_ I thought happily and then Death reared her ugly face. He was shirtless and jacketless, I had taken his jacket and Dally hadn't bothered to put on a shirt when he had left the hospital. He kept yelling something at me. But I couldn't hear, and then the ground was so close I could inspect every millimeter.

Dally, I yelled, Dally…



I awoke to the sound of silence. If you've ever heard silence and had just experienced one of the worst things in your life, you know how angry that sound makes you feel. I saw Jake sitting upright in the recliner by the TV, a pad of paper in his lap; Jessica was on the floor pointing out numbers. I didn't care about that. I didn't care if we ever went home. All I cared about was that Dally had died. I struggled not to cry.

Soda came out wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Jess, I noticed was wearing a black skirt and white top.

"Hey, she's awake," Soda noticed and Jess hurried to me.

"How're you feeling?"

"Like crap," I told her, sitting up. Soda tossed me something and I noticed it was a bundle of clothes.

"Go get changed, we leave for the funeral in an hour, we've just got to talk the state woman into staying with Pony or help Darry make up his mind to stay or go. It's not fair that Pony has to be asleep for this."

Fair? It wasn't fair that Pony got to sleep through the funeral while I had to go say good bye to my first ever boyfriend! I was furious but I changed and walked back into the living room, scrawling a note to place in Dally's casket, taking another photo of us that Dally had loved out and replacing that with the one I had like the second best. We had taken four photos and I chose my second favorite to put in the casket with him.

**Dear Dally,**

**By now you'll be in heaven or hell, I don't know which. But I promise you, if you're not where I am when I die, I will beg God or Satan to let me see you. I cannot go on without the hope that I will see you again. I wish I could go back and hold you tighter so you wouldn't do what you did. Please Dally, I know you were my first boyfriend, but I loved you…no, present tense, I love you. I will never ever forget you.**

**Love,**

**Gaia Andromache Schultz**

I folded the paper around the picture and I let myself be scooped into a hug from Sodapop. This was it, this was the last time I had to say good bye to Dally. Dallas Winston was dead, and there was nothing I could do to change that. I had to realize that, but I didn't want to!

I slid on Dally's jacket and Darry walked out of Pony's room, "I'm coming, I need to say good bye to Johnny and Dally for Ponyboy's sake as well."

We walked out of the house and I knew I was going to throw up. I must have slept for two days, but to be honest, I didn't care. If I could've slept for my entire life, I would have been grateful. But I didn't and Soda opened the door for Jake, Jess, and I to climb in the backseat.

He sat up in the passenger's seat and Darry drove off. I leaned my head against the window, breathing shuddering breaths as I attempted to keep from crying. I would explode tears all over the hospital, I just would. I double checked to make sure the letter was there.

I pulled out my essay as well and decided to throw that into his casket as well, I had another copy in my luggage bag at the hotel, if I ever got back to my time I could just pull that one out.

Darry stopped in front of the funeral home and I shook my head. Jake stopped and turned to me, "Do you need help?"

"I can't do it!" I wailed desperately to Jake.

Jess was already in the funeral home.

Jake took my arm, "This is hard for me too these guys were my friends. I've never been to a funeral before; I don't know what to do. Jess will understand, if you need to lean on me, she won't mind. I guarantee you she won't mind and we'll make it through. If the funeral gets over at four fifteen we have three hours left till we can get home."

"What are you talking about it's a six something."

"No, we didn't add how many of us there were and how many buddies we lost. Times that by…uh, I can't remember exactly but we solved it to be Seven: Fifteen, that's it."

I nodded and took a deep breath; I was afraid, afraid of seeing Dally, all calm and peaceful lying there in the casket…

I entered the funeral home and as I predicted, erupted into tears. They were silent tears that fell down my face like a flood. I went to Johnny's casket first and whispered a good-bye.

Then I turned to Dallas's casket. I couldn't stay! I just knew I couldn't and I went over to it.

Dally looked so calm…so at peace…unlike the real Dally. I could see him in the car, see him chasing me, sticking his tongue out at the photographer…I lifted his hand and placed the paper and picture under his hand.

A man behind me saw Dally and began to laugh hysterically.

"I don't see anything funny!" I snarled.

"Mr. Winston," the funeral director whispered, "this is Gaia Schultz, she was Dallas's girlfriend, I'm sure if you want to know how your son died, she's tell you."

"Tell him?" I shouted through my tears, "I wouldn't tell him a thing about his son, bastard," I cried, wiping my eyes. "He doesn't even deserve to call himself Dally's father! You were never there for him, go straight to hell," I told Mr. Winston, "go straight to hell." And with that, I took off running for the Curtis's home.


	12. 2005

**Disclaimer: do not own The Outsiders...**

Chapter Twelve

Getting back to Tulsa, 2005

I walked into the Curtis home and thought about writing a note to Darry and Soda but chose to wait until they got home before I would leave with Jake and Jess. I walked into Ponyboy's room and saw him sitting up.

"Hey, Gaia," he greeted me. I sat down on the bed next to him. I wiped at my tears, "Hey, Ponyboy."

He smiled at me, "It can't have been all that bad, could it?"

I rubbed at my eyes, "It couldn't have been worse. Look, Ponyboy, I have to leave soon. In about…three hours, I have to go back to my original home and time."

"Time?" Pony asked.

I nodded and pulled out my driver's license. "See the birth date?"

"January twenty-eighth, nineteen eighty-eight," he read. Then I saw his eyes widen, "That's in five years!"

I nodded, "So, in 2005, look me up, I'll be living in Michigan," I gently slugged his shoulder, "It seems impossible, but once you remember, look my number up and hopefully we'll be able to see each other again…despite the fact that you'll be older than me." I swallowed, "I'm going to say good bye to the gang now, Two-Bit and Steve won't have gone to the funeral…they told me they couldn't because of work and…" I trailed off. "Every year will you put flowers on Johnny and Dally's graves for me?"

Ponyboy nodded, "Yeah, and, Gaia?"

I paused and turned away from the door, "Yeah, Pony?"

"It was nice knowing you."

I smiled at him, "Nice knowing you, too, Ponyboy. I'll never forget you."

I left the house to go to the DX station.



"Hey, Steve," I said, leaning over the counter at the station, my red-gold hair, sweeping the countertop.

"Hey, Gaia, I thought you'd be at the funeral."

"I couldn't take it, too emotional. Look, I'm leaving town. In about three hours…I came to say good-bye. I'm going to leave forever, I think. I doubt I can come back. Pony has my number…at least I hope he still has it. When he finds it or whenever, be sure to give me a call."

He said good-bye and offered to buy me a tank of gas for my car. But I explained that I was leaving in a different way from a car.



"Hey, Two-Bit," I said smiling at him.

"What's up, Gaia, I thought you'd be-"

"It was too hard for me. Look, I'm going away for good. I can't stay here anymore…I came to say good-bye." Two-Bit hugged me and gave me a switch blade that he had bought (I doubt that) and I put it in my pocket, "I'll never forget you, Two-Bit."

He said good-bye and I left to say good-bye to the Curtis boys.



"You sure you want to leave?" Darry asked us when Jess informed him we were leaving.

"Yeah," Jake said, "I think we've had enough to last us for a time…" he reached into one of the many pockets in his cargo pants and handed Darry thirty dollars. "That's for helping us."

Darry tried to hand it back but Jess firmly said, "We don't have another way to repay you."

Soda and Pony gave us pictures, "So you don't forget the gang."

"I couldn't forget you guys," I said hugging them all. I glanced at Ponyboy. I scrawled something on a piece of paper and gave it to him.

**When it is 2005 go on line and if you want you can e-mail me. you'll understand when the time comes.**

Turning we all left, the Curtis boys waving at us. I went to Dally's grave, the freshly dug mound of dirt still piled on it signifying life's end. I remained in control of myself and did not sob my head off; rather I exploded into silent tears. Big deal, I still couldn't get over it.

Jake turned to us as we stepped into the theatre limelight of the glowing bulbs. I counted down on my watch until…there was nothing at all…



"Hey, Gloria, she's waking up," my dad's voice cut through the thickness in my head.

"Oh, good God," my mother rushed to my side pushing at my hair. I hate it when people do that!

"Mom, quit it," I pushed her hand away. My mother gushed about how I knew who she was.

Kayla slapped my arm, "Hey, sis, you freaked us out."

I raised a hand to my head, "Why?"

"Why?" My mother yelled, hysteria taking over her joyfulness, "Why? I got a phone call from the convention saying you never returned from your free day! And you and two others were missing! They looked everywhere and couldn't find you!" she was wailing and giving me a headache.

"Gloria, calm down! She's ok," dad said eyeing me. "I think I want a moment to explain everything to her alone."

I stared at dad while my sister and mother filed out.

"So, you went to 1983," Dad didn't ask it, it was a statement. I goggled at him.

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"You think I didn't recognize it? When I was barely thirty I was picking up a girl who looked just like you, was your age, and even had the same name, from the hospital after her boyfriend had gotten into a fight."

I stared at my father, "So-"

"I of course, didn't think twice about it when your mother named you Gaia, I was working in the hospital for the pediatric section, and did you think that I didn't notice in the old records about your visit to Sara Halesworth? Of course I noticed your exact name; even the sign in sheet with your signature which they got when you left was identical to yours! I only rethought it when you became seventeen. Yes, then as I watched my youngest daughter twirl around in her Dragon Con shirt, I thought about it. I knew that you were highly intelligent. I knew that you would enter that contest. When you came home announcing, 'Daddy, I won!' It was no surprise. I knew that you'd go to Tulsa…I knew this would happen."

I swallowed, I had always been Daddy's girl, and mom and I had never gotten along .She wished I could be her shopaholic. It didn't work. That had been Kayla, I had been the tom-boy dad had wanted. I came home with frogs from school, asking dad if I could dissect it, I was the one who shoved the school bully around.

"Are you mad at me?"

"No, how could I be mad when I knew it was going to happen and didn't prevent it? Now, the question is, are you up to going to school?"

Despite being a tom boy I was the most emotional kid you will ever know. I cried over everything and got angry real easily. Dad always said red heads were emotional.

"Yes," I said.

Dad eyed me and then nodded, "Ok, there are some people outside waiting for you."

"Waiting for me?"

"Uh-uh, guys by the names of Two-Bit Matthews, Ponyboy, Darrel, and Sodapop Curtis, and Steve Randall I think he said."

I squealed and ran towards the door, my dad caught my arm, "Hold it, kiddo, do you think you're going to run around in a _hospital gown_?" He laughed and I did too. I changed and began to pack.

The guys came in.


	13. Goodbye Tulsa

**Disclaimer: don't own The Outsiders.**

Chapter Thirteen

Good-bye Tulsa!

Two-Bit stared at me, "Um, Gaia?"

I looked at him, he had aged well, "Hey, Two-Bit, or do you go by Keith now?"

"My friends call me Two-Bit, but you can't be Gaia, Gaia's my age, like thirty some."

I shook my head, "Didn't Pony explain it all to you?" I asked shoving another sweatshirt into my duffle bag; dad had packed most of it.

Steve stared at me, "Holy!" Pony shook his head, "You were telling the truth!" Darry and Soda just stared in silent shock.

"Of course I was telling the truth, Pony, it was the only thing I could tell." Pony just stared at me in shock.

"I didn't think you were saying the truth."

Soon we all got into a great big discussion about the truth. I bid them all hugs and good-byes and I went to find Jake and Jess.



Jess insisted on getting a few photos (and somehow convinced me to do my hair) in which her mother took photos of Jake, Jess, and I. I really don't understand how she managed to persuade me to do my hair…one moment I was saying 'no' and the next, my hair was curly…

Jake hugged me and gave me his e-mail address saying that if I didn't write he'd murder me.

Jess said she hoped to hear from me on her e-mail too I told her that she needed to get a new address, because Jess isn't the greatest user name. She smiled and said that she liked it. I surrendered and left with my family.



I must admit the plane ride was fun, and when I got off there was no one to greet me, I was only half upset, since I knew Josh and Alexandra (my two best friends) would be asleep. I nearly fell asleep in the car, but I kept having a nightmare that involved Jess tap dancing and Dally being shot. I don't know where the tap dancing part came in at all.

When I awoke I was at my house. Now, my house is two stories tall and is white. The shutters are painted white as they used to be green but my mother insisted that there would be no Spartan colors on our house. It really t-ed off the neighbors, as they all are Spartan fans. Dad was all for painting them gold and blue but mom put her foot down saying that no one was going to t.p. our house because of those colors. We did get toilet papered once, but that was because we didn't give out candy (mom went on a health craze and wanted to give out apples until Dad refused to buy all of that just so people could throw them away.)

When it comes to Halloween, my mother is very odd. On Devil's Night my mother shuts every window, bolts every door, keeps Fluffball indoors (Fluffball is my sister's cat, the cat is ancient, since my sister named it when she was five, dad threatens to have the cat put out of its misery but I'm a firm believer in not doing that to animals.) My mother once insisted that I not spend the night at Josh's house because people were sure to go inside and do weird voodoo rituals in there. That's how crazy mom is about this Wicca nonsense. I don't have a problem with people believing it, but you just keep that quiet and don't tell me about it or do anything odd because I don't like it at all. It's not for me, and I know it's not for anyone, it just hurts everyone.

Dad helped me to my room and I immediately noticed something wrong with my Inheritance books. "DAD!" I shrieked.

"What?" He asked picking up his copy of _Of Mice and Men_.

"Did you read _Eldest_ again?"

"Yes," he admitted studying the shelf, "why?"

"Do you see anything WRONG with that shelf?" I'm very fussy about the order my books are in, especially if they were printed to be a series or what not.

I eventually fell asleep.



I showered and then I was picking out my clothes for school. I picked up my red t-shirt and my blue jeans. I was admiring what ease I had to pick out my outfit when I noticed the hole in my sleeve. All my other clothes were in the wash! So I hunted for an overcoat. The only thing that went with it was Dally's jacket, so reluctantly I put it on. Who ever said geeks don't have wardrobe malfunctions? I'd like to tell them otherwise!

I grabbed my lunch bag and threw it into my backpack. Do not eat the school's food. My friend Alexandra once told me that her sister got food poisoning from the chicken patties. Jake shuddered at that and admitted that more than twenty of the school's known drug abusers get high from the school's cooking spray. Now none of this is true, but ever since that day (it was chicken patty and French fry day that day) I have never eaten a school's lunch. I will die first!

I pulled my wallet from my bag and set it in my purse. I was ready to go to school. Or so I thought. I welcomed my beautifully maintained mustang convertible's view and took my seat in the driver's seat. Driving felt comfortable, it felt so alien to believe that perhaps I would be pulled over to check my license and discover that they were either crazy or I had a bad faked ID! I laughed and put the car into gear.

I zipped off to school and the sign of my school echoed my thoughts…

Good Bye Tulsa!



I walked into the door and next thing I knew Josh was running over to me, his spiked hair (dyed a deep red at the tips of his spikes) fully visible, his medallion swinging as he grabbed me into a hug. "You almost made me forget to spike my hair!" He yelled hoarsely into my ear. Josh once came to school shaking because his parents were getting a divorce and his sister was in the hospital, and he hadn't spiked his hair. Since then if his hair isn't spiked we know something is terribly wrong.

Alex (Alexandra) hugged me and said, "Girl, I thought I was going to have to buy flowers!"

I swallowed, thinking of the funeral and my mind yelled _DON'T THINK ABOUT IT_!

"Girl, what did you go through? You've got _blood_ on that jacket," Josh pointed to Dally's jeans jacket.

_I know_, I thought, but I didn't say instead I began to cry silently, two tears trailed down my face. Alex shushed Josh and put her arm around me, "Was it that bad?"

"Worse," I cried.

"Uh-oh, Josh, I sense it's chocolate time, dish out now!" Ever since Josh's sister died he can't stand to be without chocolate. His sister always gave him a candy bar and when she died in a freak accident, Josh hadn't gotten his candy bar. It scared him something awful, his schedule wreaked. So now he carries around two king sized Hershey bars, two king sized M&M's, and a few Hundred Grand bars. He eats one whenever he starts to feel upset, which isn't often but once my old Algebra teacher tried to take away his candy because candy wasn't allowed in there, and he started screaming in a few seconds. I think he was faking it, but it got him the candy back.

If Josh always carries around candy for his emergency uproars of feelings, Alex always carries around a tiny slip of paper with the words, 'Right, temporarily defeated is stronger than evil triumph,' she always reads those words whenever Kaylee Smith gets away with pouring water on her head and she retaliates, and gets in trouble when Kaylee doesn't.


	14. Failing School

**Disclaimer: Do not own the Outsiders!**

Chapter Fourteen

Failing School

There's always some big problem with having a scar, being a celebrity, and supposedly being smart. When you fail, everyone knows it.

I knew that I was failing for several reasons. Shall I list them for you?

#1-Cinematography- I can't study! In Cinematography we study films and record several things for the school and watch movies. Easy A, I was failing it because I couldn't listen to the gun fire. I would erupt into tears and no one would be able to calm me down. My teacher did all she could but some questions were on the gun part and I couldn't watch it. So, I knew I was failing that class.

#2-Gym-I wore a beater for practice and Kaylee noticed my scars. She ran her finger down the long scar left from Dallas's switch. Then she pointed to my burned shoulder, "OMG, WTF happened to you? It looks awful!" I took off Dally's ring from around my neck and stuck it with my other jewelry. "I got burned when I was in Tulsa and in a fight." Soon I had a ring of gawking kids around me. Now, it's impossible, basically to hide my scar from the switch, so there we go. And who passes gym class!

#3-Advanced Math-Who cares what x and y are? I sure as heck don't! Dally never did either, and then we did life spans…who boy! What fun! That one under seventeen? I freaked out and started crying and was unable to do the math assignment, and you miss one assignment you fail the grade. Brilliant.

#4-History-who wants to be told you're a liar when you know you're right? Mr. Know-it-all (who doesn't know a thing!) Brian S… (Whatever his last name is, it's unspellable! Is that even a word?) Said that hoods are disgusting people and should be shot. I don't know how we got on that discussion but I yelled at him. "Hoods are just people trying to survive, you dork! It's not always their fault; it's just what they know!" Mr. Palus took Brian's side and read from the Tulsa's newspaper about Dally. Tear storm!

#5-Science-I had decided from the beginning that I would take Oceanography. Well there was this thing about how the whole world used to be under water. Well, I being a Christain, challenged my teacher. He said it was from evolution. I said God did it and he told me to get out. He was teaching fact not religion. I told him to stuff it, he was teaching theories, not fact!

#6-Photography-I lent my camera to Josh and his uncle's daughter's son threw it into the pool when they were visiting. So, Josh had to buy me a new one and I didn't have time to turn in my five pictures because I got the camera one day before the due date and it was at 7:00, and there was nothing to take a picture of.

It wasn't a real surprise to me when I got called into the office and asked to stay after school.



This is the transcript of the meeting.

**Mr. Richards**: Miss Schultz, you realize you are failing six classes?

**Me**: Yes, sir.

**MR**: Do you know why this is?

**Me**: Yes, sir.

**MR**: Please explain.

**Me**: I can't, sir, you wouldn't believe me.

**MR**: Oh, we will.

**Me**: No, I'm afraid you wouldn't.

**MR**: Just tell us.

**Me**: I went down to Tulsa for that convention and instead of getting lost as everyone said, I went back in time and met a few guys who died.

**MR**: Laughter.

**Me**: I told you, you wouldn't believe me!

**MR**: Just what proof do you have?

I went and got him all the pictures of Dally and I and everything.

**MR**: It's just not enough Gaia. You could have picked out anything and pretended it was you.

**Me**: Do you think I would make this up?

**MR**: It's always possible.

**Me**: I'm not a liar. I wouldn't lie about this. I hate liars! I always try to tell the truth!

**MR**: It's just not enough. We'll have to do some research to tell if you're lying or not.

Lying or not! What a load of crap! But the next day Mr. Richardson came over to me and accepted my excuse. Said he'd called around and found out I wasn't lying. He also apologized for laughing and not believing me. Josh shook his head and then the bell rang. "See ya, huh?"

Alex and he left and I headed out to Cinematography. That's what I took, Alex took jewelry crafting and Josh took woodshop. I was working on my video camera when the announcement went off.

"GAIA SCHULTZ TO THE OFFICE PLEASE!" It bellowed. "GAIA SCHULTZ!"

I got up and left. I took my sweet time getting there because I figured it wouldn't make much of a difference. When I got to the office there was this old guy there. He turned around when I went in.

"Are you Gaia Schultz?" He asked.

"Yeah," I admitted. Why was he talking to me, I wondered.

"I met you once before…down in Tulsa." Now that rang a bell…NOT! "At my son's funeral. The death of my son has affected us both badly…"

Dally's funeral…an old man laughing, "MR. WINSTON!" I yelled angrily.

He nodded, "I'm dying, Gaia."

I didn't feel sorry for him at all.

"I wanted you to know that you get all of Dallas's things and I will pass on a message for Dally from you."

I told him what to say and then I turned to leave, but Mr. Winston called me back and gave me a box. I left and when I was running a slip of paper fell out of my-Dally's jacket.

Gaia Schultz

I picked it up and stared at it. I tossed it aside and opened the box. It was a photo album of Dally. I saw his mother holding him and Dally grinning at his third birthday. The last page was of Dallas and me. Finally I opened the letter, tears falling down my face.

Dear Gaia,

I suppose the cops are wondering why I'm just sitting here right now. Well, they'll get their action soon enough. I just want you to know that I'm sorry I hit you. Really, really sorry about it. I keep thinking about the look on your face. The astonishment that I pushed you away. I also think about what you said in the hospital before. About Johnny and that one god of yours. I figure that if I'm going to die (which I hope I do.) the best place to be will be where you are.

Gaia, I accepted your God as my God.

Listen to me, Gaia, you have everything. A family-my old man doesn't give a shit about me. You have love, I just lost what I used to have, Johnny who I could love and could love me back. I don't want to hurt you, Gaia. I figure this is the best way to go about it. I'll make myself die so you won't get hurt. I beg you to forgive me.

Listen, if you truly love me the way I love you, you'll understand and you won't just die like me. You'll be strong, you'll carry on…and you'll remember me. I won't forget you, ok? If you want to, I'd like it if you'd get married to some rich guy and name one of your kids after me.

Love,

Dallas Winston-your Dally


	15. Riley

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Outsiders**

Chapter Fifteen

Riley

I was silently wiping away my tears when I heard someone ask me, "Are you Gaia Schultz?"

I nodded, looking into the face of a man in his thirties. He had dark hair and glasses.

"I'm Riley Smith, call me Riley. I'm from Reader's Digest and we were wondering if this week you would mind doing an interview? I mean, we'd fly you to Tulsa to get some shots of the places you visited in 1983."

I thought for a moment and then agreed. It would help to get out my feelings of what happened. Maybe I could finally get some peace about it…

Rest in peace, Dallas…


	16. Afterthoughts

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Outsiders. **

After thoughts

Written by Riley Smith

This story was placed in Reader's Digest again this year (after its print from 2005, fifteen years ago) because Miss Schultz died last weekend in a car accident. Miss Schultz married three years ago to a Joshua Carpal and had a son named Dallas Antonio Carpal. Mrs. Carpal was thirty-two years old and became a reporter. Her funeral was yesterday and in attendance where Jake and Jessica who were her friends up until her death. Hopes from the two are that she is with her beloved Dallas Winston. Alexandra admitted that she would miss her friend.

-Riley Smith dated August twenty-third, two thousand twenty.


	17. DALLY LIVES!

**Author's Note: Dally lives! Ha ha ha! BEAT THAT SUSIE HINTON! LOOKIE, DALLY LIVES! (goes skipping until someone asks if I won the lottery, which will be never! so I can skip forever! ha ha ha) Ok, I'm crazy.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Outisders!**

ALTERNATIVE ENDING

From chapter eleven until the end (this is if you do not want Dallas Winston to die! Which the author of this fan fiction does not want to happen and there fore can have a HAPPY ending.

**Chapter Eleven (Again)**

**Dallas**

I ran non stop to the lot…to me there was no ending of my breath. To me, there was no ground, just the desperate wish that I could save Dally's life. Dally was the only reason I had stayed so long without complaint. I saw the cop cars and I screamed in agony.

"DON'T SHOOT! HE'S JUST A KID! IT'S NOT LOADED!"

BANG.

I screamed and threw myself on top of Dally (extra speed had come once I saw the cops.)

"HOLD YOUR FIRE! CEASE FIRE!" they yelled and I kissed Dally's hair.

"Don't ever do that to me again!"

"Damn it, Gaia," Dally raised the gun, but I pried it from his fingertips.

"You're not going to get the best of them Dallas." I told him rolling off of him. He looked sick…his eyes were a dull brown, far from the vivacious eyes I had seen when he'd been laughing with me or fighting. His face was red from the pounding he'd gotten from the Socs. The top lip was split from biting on it. For a moment he looked so vulnerable that I nearly held him against me but he lost his look of fear and it was replaced by the cold hard look I was always expecting of Dallas Winston. Blood pooled from his chest and leg.

The cops slapped handcuffs on his wrists and I noticed that he didn't say a thing. There was no, "I didn't do anything wrong!" or anything. Dallas just took it.

The cop who had yelled for them to cease fire began to read Dallas his rights and suddenly Dallas reached out and slapped my face.

Hurt spread across my face and the cop stopped reading.

"Damn it, Gaia," Dallas said. That was all. He was bleeding, he was an emotional wreck and yet he slapped me.

Soda gasped and shouted, "Glory! Look at the kid!"

I didn't turn around. I didn't move anything but my eyes. They pleaded with Dallas to let go of his anger, his hate…

"Ma'am? Did you hear me?" the cop asked me.

I flicked my gaze to him, "No, I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"Would you like to press charges?"

I made eye contact with Dallas again and the wall of anger; hate; contempt slid from his eyes. Only a pleading look of fear and pain.

"No," I said.

The cop stared at me with his eyes wider than a dinner plate. "No, I don't want to press charges…just get him some help ok? He's an emotional train wreck. You're the _Titanic_ of human emotions, Dallas." I stood up. Dallas stared at me, begging me to come back. The cop hauled Dallas to his feet and Dally nearly struggled.

I walked over and threw my arm out under him and helped him into the police car. I heard Darry's exclamation of surprise as I slid into the car. "Drive," I said to the cop, "I'll look after him."

The cop stared at me. I nodded and shut the door. "Just go!" I begged.

Dally leaned against the window and looked at his cuffs. Those steel bands around his wrist…blood fell from his chest wound to his pants. I pulled from my jacket pocket a packet of tissues and tried to press it against the wound. Dally shrugged me off. I nearly yelled at him.

Dallas remained stiff and formal until we got to the station where he leaned on me as the cops escorted us into the office.

The ambulance screeched to a halt and the medics came out with a bunch of equipment. Dally silently went into a room and I followed him.

The doctor came in a short while later and asked Dally to take off his shirt and pants. Dally leaned on me while stepping out of his jeans. Finally he sat on the counter in his underwear while the cop pulled each bullet from the wound.

Blood flowed more quickly than before and I moved to Dally's side. The cop quickly wound a few rolls of gauze around Dally's chest and leg and said he'd get him something for the pain.

Dally bared his teeth, "There is no pain." The doctor shrugged and left.

I watched him for a moment before asking, "Dallas, are you mad at me?"

"I don't want to be here, Gaia, why'd you do that?" He demanded.

"Because I didn't want to see you in a casket! Because I can't lose you, Dallas! You don't know what you'd put me through if you did that!" I yelled in frustration. "If you don't want to be here, why'd you rob the store?"

"Not here as in the station, here as in _alive_!"

I thought someone was pressing a pillow over my face. I couldn't breathe. I had often felt suicidal before…but this was beyond suicide. "No, Dally," I said, laying my hand against his arm, "you don't want to die."

"What, d'you think you can change my mind by saying that, Gaia? You can't! No one can!"

"You need therapy, boy."

He pulled a package of Kools from his jacket's pocket and began to light up. I snatched the cigarette from his fingers before he could take a puff and burned my fingers with it on accident. I smashed it out in the ash tray and threw the cigarette butt in the trash. "You've got to stop smoking!" I chided.

"Do you think you're my mother? I can smoke if I want to!" He reached for the Kools again but I threw the package out.

"There are better ways to deal with stress and pain than using drugs."

"Stop preaching at me, Gaia!" He yelled.

"I'm not!" I snapped. I eyed him and he turned away. The force of my gaze was so strong he eventually turned to look at me.

"I don't know how to deal with it any other way."

I put my hands on his shoulder, "Dally…listen, just say you're guilty, say why you did it and what you wanted from it and I guarantee all you have to do is turn in the money and maybe pay a fine. Then they'll probably have you see a counselor-"

"I'm not going to go to some shrink!" He snapped at me.

"She/he won't shrink you! It'll just help you deal with the stress. Do you want a shrink? I can arrange it for you!" I almost whipped out my cell phone before I realized that I didn't have it.

Dally shook his head at me and laid his head on his hands.



Dally was fined fifty dollars and was given a counselor to see for a year. I told Sherri Valance off and we never see each other again. Jake and Jess went home, yet I stayed in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Dallas will never be an outstanding citizen, yet at the age of twenty-five he and I are married, he's quit drinking and smoking (now he just wrestles with our kids when he's stressed out.) We have two children a boy age three whose name is Michael Winston and a daughter age one named Avril Winston.


End file.
